Illegal CFI Faces Charge of Involuntary Manslaughter

Lapsed and noncertificated instructor crashed a Piper in 2022, killing the student aboard.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, August 09, 2024 at 01:00 PM ET

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Meg Godlewski

Philip Everton McPherson II faces one count of involuntary manslaughter for the crash of the Piper PA-28-140 on September 28, 2022, that killed student pilot Keith Kozel, 49. [AVweb]

Key Takeaways:

Philip Everton McPherson II faces involuntary manslaughter charges for a fatal September 2022 plane crash that killed student pilot Keith Kozel.
McPherson was illegally operating as a flight instructor, having surrendered his commercial and CFI certificates to the FAA in October 2021 after failing a reexamination due to poor airmanship.
Despite a temporary certificate prohibiting carrying passengers, he continued to instruct for nearly a year, leading to 40 additional counts, and had a history of prior flight incidents including two off-runway events.

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Have you checked your CFI’s credentials? How do you know they are legal to provide instruction?

This question is being asked at flight schools across the country as the CFI world and the nonaviation media are sharing the story of 36-year-old Philip Everton McPherson II, from Haddon Township, New Jersey. McPherson faces one count of involuntary manslaughter for the crash of the Piper PA-28-140 on September 28, 2022, that killed student pilot Keith Kozel, 49.