Photo of Don G. Gerszewski (Courtesy: Gerszewski Family)
NORTH LOGAN — Law enforcement and family members have released the identity of the 69-year-old Logan man killed in Saturday’s small plane crash in North Logan. Don G. Gerszewski was piloting the aircraft, when witnesses reported strong winds brought the plane down onto the roof of a home.
The accident was reported near 2295 Meadowlark Lane, around 8:40 p.m. When officers and paramedics arrived on the scene, they located the damaged aircraft on the roof, around the back of the home. Gerszewski was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
No other occupants were onboard and no one was inside the residence at the time of the crash.
Gerszewski was a professional pilot, who had flown for Delta Airlines for several decades. He had just bought the Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey LSX in Seattle two days before the crash. The aircraft was a two-seat, single-engine “amphibious flying boat,” capable of landing and taking off from the ground or water.
Witnesses told police, Gerszewski was flying over the neighborhood where his son was attending a barbecue, when something went wrong and the plane went down. The son immediately ran up the hill to the crash, climbed the damaged roof but was unable to pull his father from the aircraft.
No flames were coming from the wreckage and damage to the home appeared to be only structural.
Gerszewski’s body was recovered by emergency crews and transferred to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The National Transportation Safety Board is determining the exact cause of the crash.
On Sunday night, Gerszewski’s family released the following statement:
With profound sadness, we say farewell to our husband, father and grandfather in this mortal life. He was our rock. A kind, loving friend and steady example to all who knew him.
As a second-generation pilot with nearly five decades of aviation experience, Don was responsible for safely flying hundreds of thousands of people to their destinations around the world throughout his career. He was competent, cautious, and thorough with everything he pursued in life.
We recognize that unforeseen conditions and a divine influence that we do not fully comprehend resulted in a tragic accident Saturday. We are comforted by our faith in God and His eternal plan, knowing there is a purpose that transcends time and our limited understanding.
We also take solace in knowing that he left us doing what he loved, and that he knew how much he is loved by everyone around him. Blue skies and bright horizons until we meet again.
Funeral services are still being arranged and could be held toward the end of the week or weekend.
will@cvradio.com