The pilot of the small twin-engine plane that crashed Thursday afternoon in Chester County has been identified as Sam Ganow, the school board president of the Octorara Area School District. Ganow, 65, died in the crash.
The district confirmed his death in a statement posted to its website.
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"Mr. Ganow was not only a dedicated member of the Octorara Area School District School Board but also a cherished and respected member of our community," Superintendent Steven Leever wrote.
"Mr. Ganow served the Octorara community as a school board member for 26 years. His commitment to education and his tireless efforts to enhance the educational experience for our students made a lasting impact on our school district."
Leever noted that Ganow was active in his church community and owned an equipment rental business. Ganow also was a judge for several skiing events and was an avid marathon runner. Details on Ganow's memorial services will be announced sometime in the coming days.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware, Ganow departed Chester County G. O. Carlson Airport at 1:25 p.m. His plane crashed minutes later, narrowly missing a home on the 500 block of Old Wilmington Road in West Caln Township. Ganow was the sole occupant of the aircraft.
The cause of the crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane is a Grumman American GA-7 with the registration number N887CC. It climbed to about 1,000 feet before crashing, according to ADS-B data.