Lawrence Sager Dies in Fatal Plane Crash in York County

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the fatal plane crash that occurred in York County, Pennsylvania, shutting down the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The report states that there was only a pint of fuel left between the two gas tanks after the crash.

On May 31 at 2:35 p.m., a Cessna 180 crashed into a utility vehicle on a turnpike offramp near Capital City Airport. The accident resulted in one passenger's death and serious injuries to the pilot.

According to data from the Federal Aviation Administration cited in the NTSB report, "the airplane was on its final leg of a 3-leg flight that originated from [the] pilot’s home airport (Farmers Pride Airport) in Fredricksburg, Lebanon County around 8:15 a.m." Before departing from Farmers Pride Airport, "the owner of Farmers Pride Airport observed the pilot servicing his plane with fuel," as per information provided by witnesses.

The pilot flew for about an hour and twenty minutes before landing at Brokenstraw Airport in Pittsfield. However, according to reports from Brokenstraw's airport owner who saw him land there but did not see any refueling activity take place before he took off again later that day.

After leaving Pittsfield at approximately 10:28 am local time, it flew for another hour and twenty minutes before landing at Rowlesburg private grass strip located in West Virginia where investigators found no evidence of available fuel. At around 1:24 pm local time, it departed West Virginia en route to Capital City Airport when tracking data ended just over an hour later due to engine failure causing it to collide with terrain and utility vehicles one mile short of runway eight during approach procedures.

Witnesses reported hearing erratic engine sounds such as sputtering or cutting out while flying overhead approaching this site; however they could not account for start-up times or initial climb rates for any of the three flights that day.

The report states that there was no evidence of fuel or fuel spillage at the crash site, but an odor of fuel was present. The fuel tanks were intact with about one pint drained from the right tank and none in the left. The engine displayed minimal impact damage.

The pilot held certificates for transport pilot, flight engineer, and flight instructor and had 31,000 total hours of flight experience as of October 6th, 2022. Pilot log books were not available; however, it is estimated that he accrued approximately 88 hours flying time on this particular Cessna model.

According to NTSB reports, "the pilot was not immediately available for an interview due to his injuries." A full investigation report may take up to two years before completion.

The victim identified by Dauphin County Coroner's office as Lawrence Sager (74) died at UPMC Harrisburg Hospital on Wednesday afternoon after sustaining fatal injuries during the accident. Witnesses who have information relevant to this investigation are encouraged to contact NTSB via email at [email protected]

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