Chester County school board president was killed in small plane crash
Sam Ganow, board president of the Octorara Area School District, was the only person onboard the twin-engine Gulfstream American GA-7 when it went down in West Caln Township, authorities said.
A Chester County school board president was killed Thursday afternoon in a plane crash in West Caln Township.
Sam Ganow, board president of the Octorara Area School District, was a school board member for 26 years, superintendent Steven Leever wrote in a message on the district’s website.
“During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with Sam’s family,” Leever’s message read. “We extend our deepest condolences to them, and we ask that you join us in offering support and comfort to one another as we navigate through this tragedy together.”
The airplane went down just before 1:30 p.m. in a field to the rear of a property on the 500 block of Old Wilmington Road in West Caln Township, a spokesperson for the Chester County Department of Emergency Services said.
Only one person was onboard the aircraft, a twin-engine Gulfstream American GA-7, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary statement. The FAA said it will work with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the crash.
Mr. Dent Inc., a Manheim, Lancaster County-based automotive repair company, owns the airplane, according to FAA records. The company could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday evening.
The company’s president, Jason Morrison, of Downingtown, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The aircraft had appeared on Morrison’s popular YouTube channel, Rebuild Rescue, which features restorations of vintage airplanes and other vehicles, in recent episodes.
Officials have not yet released information on what may have caused the crash.
Staff writer Gillian McGoldrick contributed to this article.