BY JIM LOCKWOOD and KYLE WIND
Times-Shamrock Writers

A Montrose man piloting his own airplane died in a crash in this Susquehanna County township, authorities said Saturday.

State police at the Gibson station identified the victim as Rodney T. Hunsinger, 66, and said he was the only person aboard the aircraft.

The single-engine McHugh Tony Kitfox Model 1 plane crashed into an embankment in a field near Spring Valley Road in Bridgewater Twp. about 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 7, during an attempt to land at a private landing strip in Montrose, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The crash remains under investigation by police and the FAA, police said. The FAA initially referred to the crash as an accident and said the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause.

Spring Valley Road, north of Hart’s Trailer Park, was closed down while emergency crews were on the scene late into Friday night.

United Fire Company of Montrose informed the public via its Facebook page that first units arriving at the scene reported the single engine aircraft was engulfed in flames. The fire quickly contained by emergency responders.

Mr. Hunsinger’s obituary appears on Page 8.

Susquehanna County Independent Staff Writer Staci Wilson contributed to this report.