Law enforcement members on scene near the intersection of 145 Road and Sweetwater Road near the crash site, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Two pilots who were killed in a crash north of Kearney on Aug. 27 were being sued by an Arizona father and daughter who were injured in a 2022 plane crash in Buffalo County.
Marius van der Merwe and Celine van der Merwe had filed a lawsuit against Hawkfitz, LLC, Jayne Meyer, Mark Meyer, Kent Magnason and Woods Aviation in Buffalo County District Court on Aug. 8.
Within the same month, Meyer, 77, and Magnason, 72, both of rural Kearney, were killed in a plane crash north of the Kearney Regional Airport on Aug. 27.
At 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had reported an overdue aircraft that had been routed to the Kearney Regional Airport from Onion Crest Airpark and had lost contact with the aircraft.
The aircraft’s last known location was reported in an area several miles north of the Kearney Regional Airport.
A joint search between area law enforcement and EMS located the crash site near 145th Road and Imperial Road.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the crash is currently ongoing.
The van der Merwes’ lawsuit alleges that the father and daughter were in their home state of Arizona and were looking for a flight to Nebraska on July 16, 2022. They encountered Jayne Meyer, who said that her husband could take them for $300.
According to the lawsuit, this alleged arrangement was an illegal charter operation that was in violation of FAA regulations.
The aircraft, piloted by Meyer and Magnason, crashed in Buffalo County as it was preparing for a landing at Onion Crest Airpark.
The lawsuit alleges that both pilots had failed to maintain proper fuel levels, operated the aircraft in an unsafe manner and conducted an illegal charter flight.
The suit states that Marius and Celine suffered significant injuries as a result of the crash, with medical expenses totaling $446,547.81 and $268,424.54, respectively, and more expected.
Per the NTSB’s report on the 2022 crash, the pilot told the investigation that he left on a one hour flight with around 110 gallons of fuel. As they arrived at Onion Crest Airpark, they did a go-around.
During the maneuver, the left engine lost power, the aircraft decided into a cornfield and resulted in substantial damage to the wings.
The report states that one passenger sustained minor injuries.
