WAYNESVILLE, Ohio — An 84-year-old man is dead after a plane crash in Warren County Friday afternoon.
Ohio Highway State Patrol deputies told WCPO they responded to the Caesar Creek Soaring Club near Waynesville, Ohio for a crash reported at around 1:15 p.m.
A preliminary investigation determined 84-year-old Dieter S. Schmidt of Springboro was in a Schleicher ASH 26E glider being towed by a 1976 Piper PA-23-235 fixed-wing single-engine plane. As they took off, his plane separated from the tow plane and nosedived into the Caesar Creek Gliderport runway.
Schmidt was pronounced dead at the scene.
Longtime club member Brian Stoops said he was heartbroken by the loss of a friend.
"Obviously, the club sends their apologies to them. I've known him a while. I've been in the club for a while. You know, he's always been a great friend and a great pilot. He's a long-time experienced pilot," Stoops said.
Stoops said the airfield would remain closed until federal investigators concluded their work.
"It may have been a mechanical issue. It may have been a health issue. We're not sure," he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it has opened an investigation into the crash, including sending an investigator to the crash site to document the wreckage. The crash is also under investigation by OSHP and Federal Aviation Administration officials.
NTSB is investigating Friday's crash of a Schleicher ASH-26 airplane near Waynesville, Ohio.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 30, 2024
According to Caesar Creek Soaring Club's website, the facility is "one of the oldest soaring clubs in the United States and is now the largest club in the United States."
The club says it provides flight instruction and club sailplanes for member use, including introductory flights for prospective members. The facility is home to seven sailplanes, three tow planes and more than 35 privately owned gliders, the website says.
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