Uncertified Flight Instructor Sentenced to Prison Following Fatal Crash

Philip Everton McPherson II received six and a half years behind bars for involuntary manslaughter.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The Piper Cherokee that crashed September 28, 2022, in Pennsylvania was largely destroyed in a postcrash fire. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

Philip Everton McPherson II, a New Jersey flight instructor, was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and other charges following a 2022 fatal crash that killed his student.
McPherson's pilot certificates had been revoked due to a "lack of demonstrated competence" after multiple non-fatal accidents and a failed reexamination, but he continued to illegally serve as an instructor.
He was found guilty of flying without a valid certificate and continuing to teach students despite having a temporary certificate that prohibited carrying passengers.
The fatal accident, which also resulted in charges for the flight school owner for complicity, occurred during a takeoff when the aircraft experienced a partial loss of engine power and failed to climb.

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A New Jersey flight instructor involved in a fatal aircraft accident after he had his pilot certificates revoked for a “lack of demonstrated competence” has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

As previously reported by FLYING, 37-year-old Philip Everton McPherson II in 2025 pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges stemming from a 2022 crash that killed a flight student. McPherson pleaded guilty to 43 of the 44 charges he faced in exchange for the U.S. government agreeing to withdraw one count of conspiracy to defraud the FAA. These counts stemmed from serving as an airman without a valid certificate.