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| Mid-air collision | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 4, 1991 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision due to pilot error on both aircraft |
| Site | Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania 40°00′06″N 75°15′24″W / 40.0017°N 75.2568°W |
| Total fatalities | 7 |
| Total injuries | 5 |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
.jpg) A Piper Aerostar similar to the one involved in the accident | |
| Type | Piper Aerostar |
| Registration | N3645D |
| Flight origin | Williamsport Regional Airport |
| Destination | Philadelphia International Airport |
| Occupants | 3 |
| Passengers | 1 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
 A Bell 412EP similar to the one involved in the accident | |
| Type | Bell 412 |
| Registration | N78S |
| Occupants | 2 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 2 |
| Ground injuries | 5[1] |
On April 4, 1991, a Piper Aerostar propeller-driven aircraft collided in mid-air with a Bell 412 helicopter over Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, in southeast Pennsylvania.
All five people in both aircraft were killed, including United States Senator John Heinz, the sole passenger of the Piper.[2] On the ground, two schoolchildren were killed by falling debris and five people were injured.[1]
An investigation determined the accident was caused by poor crew judgment and pilot error in both aircraft.[1]
- ^ a b c "Aircraft Accident/Incident Summary" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. September 17, 1991 – via NTSB.gov.
- ^ Duncombe, Ted (April 5, 1991). "Senator, six others killed in crash". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. p. 13.
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