What should have been a joyous family holiday weekend turned out to be heartbreaking after two grandparents died in a plane crash while flying to be with their family for Thanksgiving celebrations.
Joseph and Patty Kreher of Freeburg, Illinois, died on Saturday after their twin-engine Piper PA-30 aircraft crashed at around 11:15 am in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Air Safety Investigator Pete Wentz spoke to the media and said that the pilot communicated with the radio tower saying there was an issue with the plane right before it went down. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash.
According to Wentz, during the call to the tower, “The pilot said he needed to circle the airport for a second attempt. While maneuvering the circle, the aircraft lost control and crashed.”
The plane crashed into a resident’s backyard. No one on the ground was injured. According to Susan Harrison-Bailey, it didn’t hit her home and the smoke prevented her from immediately seeing what was happening.
“At first, I couldn’t tell whether it was a plane. There was a lot of smoke… it smashed into the trees and landed straight up and down,” she said.
The Kreher couple owned a machine shop business called General Machine, providing large equipment repair and parts, and were known and respected in their neighborhood.
A family member confirmed that the Krehers were flying in to visit their son and grandchildren for Thanksgiving. “They have made several trips to North Carolina several times before without any incident,” the family member said.