It happened so fast. One minute, a twin-engine Cessna 441 Conquest is rolling down Runway 32 at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, and the next, a community is shattered. Honestly, when you hear about a plane crash Ohio today, you expect it to be a minor fender-bender on a taxiway or maybe a glider clipping a fence. This was different. This was devastating.
The aircraft, registered as N441LS and operated by Meander Air LLC, went down shortly after takeoff. It was supposed to be a long flight—about five and a half hours—all the way to Bozeman, Montana. Instead, the flight lasted barely sixty seconds.
The Timeline of the Youngstown-Warren Crash
Let’s look at the raw data. At 6:53 a.m., the plane lifted off. By 6:54 a.m., it was over.
Witnesses living near King Graves Road and Spring Run Road described a sound that’ll stick with them for a long time. They heard the "roaring" of engines followed by a sudden, sickening pitch change. It didn’t sound right. Aviation experts like Juan Browne and local pilot Chuck Johnson have pointed out that the plane didn’t even clear the tree line. It stayed low—about 100 feet off the ground—before veering left and slamming into a heavily wooded backyard.
The wreckage was found just 1.2 miles northwest of the airport. It's a miracle, if you can even use that word here, that no houses were hit. The plane came down in a gap between three residential homes.
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Who Was on Board?
This wasn't just a random flight. The Mahoning Valley lost some of its most prominent figures in that woods.
- James (Jim) Weller, 67, the CEO of Liberty Steel Industries.
- Veronica Weller, 68, his wife.
- John Weller, 36, their son.
- Maria Weller, 34, John’s wife.
- Joseph Maxin, 63, the pilot and a former assistant prosecutor.
- Timothy Blake, 55, the co-pilot.
The Wellers were huge in the local racing scene, specifically at Sharon Speedway. Maxin wasn't just some guy in a cockpit either; he was the Director of Compliance for the Port Authority and basically built the flight school at Youngstown State University from the ground up. These were people who knew the sky. That’s what makes the plane crash Ohio today so hard to wrap your head around.
What the NTSB is Actually Looking At
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) doesn't guess. They've already moved the 1984 Cessna to a secure facility to tear it apart.
There's a lot of talk about the "left engine." Why? Because the flight data shows the plane drifted off the runway centerline before it even left the ground. It was pulling left. Normally, a Cessna 441 should be airborne within 2,200 feet. On Sunday, it took over 4,400 feet. That suggests the engines weren't giving the pilot the power he needed.
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"The aircraft could have easily stopped in the remaining amount of runway," Browne noted in a recent analysis.
If the pilot had rejected the takeoff, we might be talking about a mechanical delay instead of a memorial service. But once you're in the air with a failing engine at 100 feet, your options vanish.
Technical Clues Being Examined
The investigators are focusing on a few specific parts that survived the fire:
- The Throttle Quadrant: Did the pilot try to pull back?
- The Annunciator Panel: This is the "warning light" board. It might show what the plane was telling the crew.
- Propeller Feathering: If an engine fails, you "feather" the prop to stop it from creating drag. If that didn't happen, the plane would have been nearly impossible to fly.
Recent Incidents Across Ohio
It feels like a lot, doesn't it? If you've been tracking news in the state, you'll notice this isn't the only time the NTSB has been busy here lately. Just a few months ago, two men—Roger and Terry Hendricks—died when their Jabiru J230-SP lost altitude in Henry County. And back in December, a plane at Fulton County Airport had to belly-land because the gear wouldn't go down.
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Ohio's weather doesn't help. We recently saw a final report on a 2022 Marietta crash where ice buildup on the tail caused a "steep spinning descent." While weather hasn't been officially blamed for the Youngstown tragedy, the NTSB is pulling every METAR report and satellite image from that morning.
What You Should Know If You Fly Private
If you’re a frequent flyer or you use small charters like Meander Air, this news is rattling. But statistically, general aviation is still incredibly safe. Most accidents happen during the "critical phases" of flight: takeoff and landing.
If you're ever in a small plane and something feels "off" during the takeoff roll—vibrations, weird noises, or the plane pulling to one side—know that a "rejected takeoff" is always an option until the wheels leave the pavement. Pilots are trained for this, but the pressure to get to the destination is real.
Next Steps for the Investigation
- Wait for the Preliminary Report: Usually out within 30 days, this will give us the hard numbers on engine RPM and altitude.
- Check Doorbell Cameras: The NTSB is literally asking neighbors for Nest and Ring footage. If you live in Howland, check your cloud storage from Sunday morning.
- Public Record: You can follow the case via the NTSB's "Dockets" system using the tail number N441LS.
The final "probable cause" report won't be ready for 12 to 24 months. For the families in Hubbard and Canfield, that’s a long time to wait for answers that might never fully make sense. For now, the focus remains on recovery and figuring out why a routine trip to Montana turned into a tragedy that redefined a community.
Actionable Insights for Local Residents:
If you have any footage or witnessed the flight path, contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov. For those looking to support the victims' families, several local memorial funds have been established through the Sharon Speedway and the Western Reserve Port Authority. Avoid flying drones near the crash site as federal investigators are still conducting aerial mapping of the debris field.