“A light plane which took off from the Gratz Airport Sunday at 2:50 p. m., went into a nose dive and crashed into Sharp Mountain one mile west of Lykens, claiming the lives of two young men the bodies of whom were not removed from the scene of the accident until 9 p. m. that evening.”
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The story of this crash was told in a page one story in the Lykens Standard, June 10, 1949:
PLANE CRASH KILLED LYKENS AND WILLIAMSTOWN MEN, SUNDAY
A light plane which took off from the Gratz Airport Sunday at 2:50 p. m., went into a nose dive and crashed into Sharp Mountain one mile west of Lykens, claiming the lives of two young men the bodies of whom were not removed from the scene of the accident until 9 p. m. that evening.
Robert Weaver, 20, Lykens, pilot of the plane who was wearing a wrist watch at the time of the crash, was reported stopped at 4:20 p. m. John Hoffman, 21, of Williamstown,, killed in the crash was a passenger in the plane with Weaver.
According to Mr. Lyle Bressler, who operates the Gratz Airport, after the plane left the field with Weaver at the controls, nothing was heard until it was reported to him by phone that a plane crashed near Lykens. He immediately took off in another plane in search of the crash which he located on Sharp Mountain. The plane according to Bressler was completely demolished.
State Police from the Lykens sub-station fought their way through more than two and a half miles of brush and rocks to reach the scene of the crash on Sharp Mountain.
In the rescue party were Cpl. Charles Riggs, PFC Donald Hall, and PFC Daniel F. Brennan, all of the Lykens sub-station, and Private Edward Fagnagni, aviation investigator from the Harrisburg barracks, and several local citizens who assisted.
The site is only a mile by air west of Lykens, but by the devious route followed through the rugged terrain on the mountain side, it took until 9 p. m. for the police to bring out the bodies found in the wreckage.
The wreckage was left on the scene and Fagnagni will continue his investigation.
The Standard article continued with the obituaries of the two men who died:
John Hoffman, who is 21, resided at 627 West Market Street, Williamstown. He was a son of Paul Hoffman and Anna Hoffman, Williamstown, and was born in Wiconsin, November 11, 1928. Besides his parents he is survived by one sister, Miss Anna E. Hoffman, and two brothers, Paul D. Hoffman and Herbert R. Hoffman. He was a graduate of the Williamstown High School, class of 1946, and was employed by a firm in Lemoyne, He was a member of Emanuel Lutheran Church, Williamstown, and has for some time been a member of the Naval Reserve.
Funeral services were held from the home of his parents yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock with Rev. Elmer Drumm, Williamstown, assisted by Rev. R. C. Klingensmith, of New Kensington, officiating. Burial was made in the Fairview Cemetery, Williamstown.
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Robert Weaver, who is 20, resided at 195 North Street, Lykens. He was born in Berrysburg, December 15, 1923 and is survived by his father, Clair Weaver, Harrisburg; a sister, Betty Diebler, Lykens, and his grandmother, Mrs. Cora Umholtz, Lykens, with whom he resided for many years.
Mr. Weaver served in World War II, having enlisted in the U. S. Marines, January 1946 and was discharged in October 1947. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lykens.
Funeral services in charge of the American Legion, Lykens, were held Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock from the Reiff & Helt Funeral Home, Main Street, Lykens, with Rev. Phares O. Reitz, officiating. Burial was made in the Gratz Cemetery.
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