Former Middletown Town Manager Crashes Single-Engine Plane in Maryland Woods, State Police Say

MIDDLETOWN, RI — A Middletown man crashed his small plane on Monday around 11:30 a.m., Maryland State Police said.

State police identified the pilot as Gary Kempen, 63, of Middleton. However, he is, in fact, Gerry Kempen, the former Middletown Town Manager, as Shawn Brown, the current Town Administrator, confirmed.

Kempen was Town Manager from July 2003 until December 2007.

He was flown from the scene by Maryland State Police helicopter to Prince George’s Hospital Center.

No passengers were on board.

The preliminary investigation indicates Kempen left the Potomac Airfield, operating a blue and white Piper Aire single engine plane and ascended to approximately 1,100 feet, when he began experiencing engine trouble, state police said.

"He attempted to return to Potomac Airfield, but lost power and began descending," the police said. Kempen tried to land the plane in an open field, but miscalculated his intended landing area.

"The plane landed and came to rest in a wooded area, striking several trees, causing extensive damage to the aircraft," state police said. No one was injured on the ground.

The investigation is continuing.

His condition was not known. The Patch will update this story as information becomes available.