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Reaction to Wayne County Plane Crash

Officials have released the names of the people involved in a fatal plane crash in Wayne County. The four-seat, single-engine plane crashed in a wooded part of ...

Officials have released the names of the people involved in a fatal plane crash in Wayne County.

The four-seat, single-engine plane crashed in a wooded part of Sterling Township Wednesday night.

The pilot, Patrick Sheridan, 34, and a passenger, Casey Falconer, 19, were killed.

A passenger, Evan Kisseloff, 21, survived. All three were from New York State and all three were students in an aviation program at a New York State school. The pilot was certified.

The plane, according to school officials, was a private one the students were using for a personal trip.

"The airplane was actually inverted and about 75 percent of the airplane was destroyed by fire but the aircraft is all in one place but upside down," said Ralph Hicks, National Transportation Safety Board Investigator.

While transportation officials investigate what led to the fiery crash, people reacted to the tragic news.

"Planes are really safe but every now and then something happens," said James Scrobola of Wyoming.

Scrobola is 17 years old and learning how to fly. He said aviation students especially need to be careful when in the sky. The more you fly, he said, the better you get.

"It's like driving a car, basically. It's time you need, more and more time. Practice makes perfect," Scrobola added.

John Kuzma has been a pilot since 1955. He is also an aircraft mechanic who said planes are safe, but anything can happen. Kuzma is familiar with the area where the Wayne County crash happened and said he thinks the runways in that area are short, and at night, of course, it can be hard to see.

"You have to be a fast thinker and have your head screwed on right, that's what you have to do, " Kuzma said.

NTSB officials said they expect a complete report on the crash in a year.

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