West Caldwell Plane Crash: Pilot Was On Way To Pick Up Student

A veteran flight instructor from Long Branch was on his way to pick up a student at Teterboro Airport prior to a fatal plane crash on Saturday, authorities say.

The pilot’s relatives have identified him via social media as John Hannon, a veteran flight instructor with 25 years of experience.

Hannon’s Cessna 206 aircraft crashed about half-mile from Essex County Airport shortly after departing from Runway 22 at 10 a.m., according to Kathleen Bergen, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman.

The crash took place behind a Kiddie Academy, a child daycare facility in West Caldwell.

• See related article: One Killed in N.J. Plane Crash Behind Kiddie Academy

Hannon was on his way to pick up a student at Teterboro Airport when he reported engine troubles, said Peter Knudson, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Shortly afterwards, Hannon’s plane crashed and burst into flames.

“He experienced some sort of malfunction,” West Caldwell Police Captain Gerard Paris told Pix11. “We don’t know clear what it was… He ended up trying to turn back towards the airport, we believe.”

Small aircraft such as Cessnas typically have no “black boxes,” devices used to record flight data, the Associated Press reported.

Hannon is named in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airmen Certification Database, which recognizes certified pilots who have met or exceeded the high educational, licensing and medical standards established by the FAA.

Photo: Renee Stoll ‏@ReneeStollABC7 Rescue workers heading to Cessna that crashed while taking off from Essex County Airport.

Send Caldwell area news to eric.kiefer@patch.com