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

Verified

Edited By:

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 charges of involuntary manslaughter and 40 counts of operating as an airman without a certificate following a fatal September 2022 plane crash that killed his student pilot.
McPherson had surrendered his commercial and flight instructor certificates to the FAA in October 2021 after failing a reexamination ride due to prior incidents of poor airmanship, but continued to instruct students illegally for nearly a year.
The fatal flight involved a struggling takeoff and subsequent crash into trees, with the NTSB citing partial engine power loss for undetermined reasons. McPherson could face up to 128 years in prison if convicted.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.