Plane crash kills one in Wadsworth

WADSWORTH — There has been one confirmed fatality in a plane crash in Wadsworth on Friday morning. A plane crashed into a pond next to The Village of St. Edward in Wadsworth, 102 Main St., which killed the pilot, said Sgt. Ray Santiago, public affairs officer for the State Highway Patrol. According to OSHP, the victim killed in the crash was 74-year-old Peter Klapp of Canton. At 11:06 a.m., a call came into Wadsworth police of a possible plane crash. It was confirmed by 11:18 a.m. by the Highway Patrol's airborne unit that a plane crashed into a body of water near the Village of St. Edward. Officials said there is one confirmed fatality, who was the only occupant in the aircraft, Santiago said. The preliminary information is that the plane recently took off from the Wadsworth airport but is still being investigated. A dive team recovered the remains of the occupant, Santiago said. The plane is believed to have just taken off from the airport. He said it was in the air for two or three minutes when the pilot lost radio contact with the airport. Santiago said the Highway Patrol is working in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration, which will determine if it was mechanical failure or pilot error. "The plane is in pretty rough shape," he said. The aircraft was a small single-engine plane. When the highway patrol flew over the large body of water, presumably in a helicopter, the plane was in pieces, floating in the water, along with the pilot. "The dive team was going through the debris on the outer surface (of the pond) and that's where the remains were found," Santiago said. "They were doing exhaustive work in keeping the integrity of the crash scene. "He has been brought to shore. He has not been positively identified." Santiago said he didn't think the pilot was ejected from the plane. The FAA will decide whether the plane hit the treetops. The plane crashed in a heavily wooded area. Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.