New Jersey man faces federal prison time for fatal Pennsylvania plane crash

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WHTM) -- A New Jersey man will face federal prison time after he acted as a flight instructor without a valid pilot's license when his plane crashed, killing a student pilot on board. Philip McPherson II, 37, of Riverside, was sentenced Thursday to 78 months in prison, or 6 1/2 years, on federal involuntary manslaughter and related charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The charges arose from a Sept. 28, 2022, plane crash in suburban Allentown. A student pilot was killed and McPherson was seriously injured. McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, McPherson "acted with gross negligence" in the flight as he had surrendered his pilot's certificate in October of 2021. He also had two prior crashes. In the final investigation report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said McPherson took off from Allentown-Queen City Airport just before 2 p.m. He reported losing engine power, narrowly avoiding trees at the end of the runway. The plane then crashed in a neighborhood off South Cedar Crest Boulevard. In addition to federal prison time, McPherson will serve three years of supervised release and pay a $5,000 fine, 4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution.