Second Frederick Flight Instructor Killed In Virginia Crash
Meghan McCorkell
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Famous Women Who Underwent Double MastectomiesFREDERICK, Md. (WJZ) — It’s happened again. A training pilot at Frederick Municipal Airport is killed in a crash. It’s the second fatal accident in just three weeks.
Meghan McCorkell has more on the new safety concerns.
Longtime flight instructor Bernie Charlemagne died when his plane crashed during a training flight Saturday night. Rescue workers weren’t able to get to the wreckage until Sunday.
You can see the tail end of the airplane sticking up out of dense Virginia forest. Investigators say flight instructor Bernie Charlemagne died when the plane went down Saturday. His student pilot survived.
The two were on a training flight that left Frederick Municipal Airport and visited Martinsburg, West Virginia, Winchester, Virginia and were on their way to Hot Springs when they crashed.
Charlemagne, who worked for the Frederick Flight Center, was an accomplished pilot with 30 years of flying experience.
“He was qualified in airplanes, helicopters and gliders and his resume is pretty full,” said Kevin Jackson, Frederick Flight Center.
Charlemagne is the second flight instructor based at the Frederick airport to die in a crash in just the past three weeks.
Christopher Parsons, 29, was one of three people killed last month when the helicopter he was giving a lesson in collided with a plane in midair.
“They were both very qualified and good instructors,” said Steve Hedges, Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association.
Hedges says losing two instructors has been devastating for the airport.
“The instructors definitely know each other. It has been difficult for them to see two of their colleagues die in accidents,” he said.
Federal investigators are now looking into both crashes.
Final reports on both of those crashes are not expected for at least a year.
Despite the accidents, officials say overall the aviation fatality rate is the lowest it’s been in five decades.
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