Pilot in training and instructor were preparing for flight exam before fatal PA crash

The pilot and flight instructor killed in the fiery plane crash into a Pennsylvania neighborhood were preparing for the commercial pilot practical exam, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Authorities say the pilot had successfully passed the commercial pilot written examination prior to the fatal Feb. 24 flight.

But while in the air “performing maneuvers” at 2,000 feet, NTSB investigators say the Beech 35-C33 airplane “descended into a residential street” near Hilltown Township while entering a left spin.

Pilot Brian Filippini, 55, of Philadelphia, and instructor Alfred George Piranian, 74, of Chalfont, both died on impact, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

A propeller blade separated from the small plane and flew into a home during impact, officials said, and “a postcrash fire consumed a majority of the wreckage,” including the cabin and cockpit.

Both the plane’s wings along with its engine were also pulled from the plane during the crash, according to the report.

Nobody in the neighborhood was injured, WCAU reported.

The plane crash remains under investigation.

Hilltown Township, in Bucks County, is about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Pilot in training and instructor were preparing for flight exam before fatal PA crash."