BEVERLY — A 30-year-old flight instructor died yesterday when he was struck by the propeller of his airplane while coming to the aid of another plane on a runway at Beverly Airport, according to the Essex District Attorney's Office.
Michael Costales, 30, of Weymouth, the head flight instructor for the Beverly Flight Center, died instantly, Beverly Airport Commission Chairman Paul Vitale said.
"It's extremely tragic," Vitale said. "I don't think we've ever seen anything like this in the 80-year history of this airport."
Investigators said Costales, who was on runway 34 in a Piper Warrior plane alongside a student pilot at about 12:15 p.m., got out to assist another plane with its canopy, which was stuck in the upright position. The canopy is the enclosure that covers the cockpit.
Vitale said investigators are trying to determine exactly how the propeller came to strike Costales. The District Attorney's Office said his death "appears to be accidental."
The incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. An autopsy by the state's chief medical examiner is scheduled for today.
Vitale said pilots don't usually leave an aircraft when the engine is running and the propeller is moving, "but I don't know what the circumstances were in this case."
Vitale said investigators are interviewing the student pilot, who was in the pilot seat.
"Whether the plane jerked forward or whether he had the plane under control will be determined by the investigation," he said.
The two planes were in a "run-up" area leading to runway 34 and were waiting to be cleared for departure by the tower at Beverly Airport. Both planes were owned by the Beverly Flight Center, and were manned by a flight instructor and student pilot. The plane that experienced trouble with the canopy is a 2010 Piper Sport that just arrived at Beverly Flight Center this month, according to Vitale.
Vitale did not release the names of the student pilots or the other flight instructor. He said there also may have been a third plane on the runway at the time. The incident shut down Beverly Airport for most of the afternoon.
Costales had been flying since he was 20 years old and became a flight instructor at Beverly Flight Center at age 21, according to the company's website. He was promoted to chief flight instructor in 2008.
A native of Miami, Costales also flew seaplanes and gliders, according to the website. His career goal was to become a charter or corporate pilot. He was also a professional scuba diver and instructor, as well as an avid skier, pianist, and Latin and ballroom dancer.
A quote on his website biography says, "My passion in life is to share my own passions with others."
Vitale said Costales' friends and co-workers at the airport were in shock. A person answering the telephone at the Beverly Flight Center declined to comment.
"He loved Beverly Airport and he loved the art of flying," Vitale said. "From what I'm told he was a terrific flight instructor. He was a great kid."
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by e-mail at pleighton@salemnews.com.
