WBOC Chopper 16 aerial photos of the crash scene.BERLIN, Md.- Maryland State Police have identified the pilot killed in a small plane crash late Thursday morning crash near Berlin.
Police identified the victim as 23-year-old Garett Colona, 23, of Rhodesdale, Md. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead on the scene. Police said Colona is believed to have been the only occupant of the Piper Super Cub plane that crashed.
Colona's employer said the pilot was a great guy.
"Great person," said Robert Bunting of Ocean Aerial Ads, "He's one of the best people I ever met."
At around 10:50 a.m., troopers from the MSP Berlin Barrack responded to Bunting Airport on Carey Road after receiving 9-1-1 calls reporting the crash. Troopers from the MSP Berlin Barrack, deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Berlin Police Department responded to the scene. Investigators from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation and the Worcester County Fire Marshal's Office also responded for assistance.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are working in conjunction with state police investigators to determine the cause of the crash.
Bunting noted that Colona logged over 100 hours, and flew out of the runway several times a day. According to Bunting, the company had not seen a fatality for 19 years.
