Six people, including a prominent steel industry family and two experienced pilots, died when their twin-engine plane crashed minutes after takeoff from an Ohio airport Sunday morning, marking one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the region's recent history.
The Trumbull County Coroner on Monday identified the victims as pilot Joseph Maxin, 63, co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55, and passengers from the Weller family: Veronica, 68; her husband James, 67; their son John, 36; and his wife Maria, 34. The family was bound for a vacation in Bozeman, Montana, when their Cessna 441 turboprop crashed in dense woods near Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
James Weller served as president and CEO of Liberty Steel Industries Inc., which operates facilities in Lordstown and Warren, processing coated steel and providing stamping services1. The family owned multiple steel manufacturing businesses across the Youngstown-Warren area and were well-known in local racing circles, with James winning 36 times in the Big Block Modified division at Sharon Speedway as a two-time track champion1.
Maxin, the pilot, worked as the port authority's director of compliance and served as a former assistant prosecutor for Mahoning County23. The Western Reserve Port Authority described him as "a selfless public servant and pilot (who) dedicated his life to serving the Mahoning Valley"3.
The aircraft departed runway 32 at 6:53 a.m. Sunday and crashed approximately seven minutes later, roughly 1.2 miles northwest of the airport12. Flight tracking data showed the plane made a left turn before going down in a wooded area behind homes near Kings Graves Road31.
Howland Township Fire Chief Raymond Pace said accessing the crash site proved difficult due to the terrain, requiring crews to use a neighbor's backyard34. The plane crashed near three residential homes but caused no ground injuries56.
"This is an extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse," Pace said5.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, with the NTSB taking the lead12. Investigators arrived Sunday evening and have requested surveillance footage and witness statements from the public34.
Michael Hillman, president of aviation company JETS FBO Network, praised the victims at a news conference. "These were the best of the best in terms of the folks here at the field, as well as the pilots," he said. "I'd give anything to rewind the day and take them to breakfast instead"13.
