CHESTER, Conn. - A former Elmore man was killed, as was his passenger, when the small airplane he piloted crashed and burned Thursday in a wooded area near Chester Airport.
John F. Howard, 56, of Cromwell, Conn., who was a 1963 graduate of the former Elmore High School, and David Mazo, 46, of West Hartford, Conn., died in the crash, Connecticut State Police said.
Mr. Howard's airplane crashed almost across the street from the Chester Airport. The plane was engulfed in flames when rescue crews arrived.
Police said the airplane belonged to Mr. Howard and was based at Chester Airport.
Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Mr. Howard had lived in Connecticut since 1998 and was a vice president of P/A Industries in Bloomfield, Conn. Before that, he was chief operating officer of American Electronic Components in Elkhart, Ind.
Surviving are his wife, Angela; daughters, Rachael Owens, Elizabeth DiMartino, and Amanda Traver; son, James Traver; sister, Jane Taylor, and a granddaughter.
The body will be in the Carlson Mortuary, New Britain, Conn., from 5 to 8 p.m. tomorrow. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Emmanuel Baptist Church, Newington, Conn.
First Published February 3, 2002, 5:00 a.m.