Pennsylvania, United States: A New Jersey flight instructor has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with a 2022 small-plane crash in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania, that killed his student pilot from Easton.
According to federal prosecutors, 36-year-old Philip McPherson of Haddon Township, New Jersey, entered a guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania earlier this week. The plea stems from the fatal crash that occurred just one minute after takeoff from Queen City Municipal Airport in Allentown on August 18, 2022, claiming the life of 49-year-old student pilot Keith Kozel.
McPherson and Kozel were flying a single-engine Cessna 172 on an instructional flight when the aircraft lost control shortly after departure. The plane crashed into the yard of a home on South Melrose Avenue in Salisbury Township and burst into flames. Kozel died at the scene, while McPherson survived with injuries.
Investigators later determined that McPherson was not legally certified to act as a flight instructor or pilot at the time of the crash. Court documents revealed he had surrendered his pilot certificate to the FAA in 2018 after being involved in two prior accidents and subsequently failed a 2021 reexamination for lack of competence.
In August 2024, McPherson was indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a valid certificate, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Prosecutors argued that McPherson acted with “gross negligence” by knowingly providing flight instruction despite his disqualification, thereby endangering his student’s life.
On October 14, 2025, McPherson pleaded guilty to manslaughter under a plea agreement that will see the remaining charges dismissed at sentencing, as confirmed by local authorities. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
McPherson’s sentencing is scheduled for January 2026 in Philadelphia. The court is expected to consider aggravating factors related to his prior record and repeated violations of federal aviation regulations.
Friends and relatives of the late Keith Kozel described him as a dedicated student pilot who was “living his dream of flying.” The Kozel family has expressed relief that justice is being served but said “no sentence can bring Keith back.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assisted in the investigation, which concluded that the accident resulted from pilot error and lack of qualification on the part of McPherson.
