A couple from Freeburg, Illinois, was looking forward to spending the holiday season with family. The duo flew in a small plane from St. Louis to North Carolina, planning to be with loved ones for Thanksgiving. Tragically, it wasn’t meant to be.
Patty Kreher and Joe Kreher were well-loved in their community. Their family also adored them, and the proud grandparents enjoyed spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Joe was a capable pilot, and he had transported himself and his wife successfully numerous times. They were making their way to their son’s home in North Carolina, but they never reached their destination.
The duo’s journey on November 19, 2022, started smoothly, but radio communication between Joe and the control tower indicated they ran into trouble.
One of their final messages revealed: “One engine is not making as much power as the other one, we’re okay, but that’s why we had the hesitation.”
Photos and videos from the crash site displayed shocking scenes. The plane was in bad condition and appeared as if it had been split in half.
Joe, a certified single and multi-engine airplane instructor, and his wife were the only people aboard the aircraft. Their twin-engine Piper PA-30 crashed on Saturday morning in Winston-Salem.
Joe was the registered owner of the plane, and it had been in service for two decades. Flightradar24 revealed that the couple briefly landed in London, Kentucky, one hour and 45 minutes before the crash. The purpose of their stop was still unknown.
The shocking incident occurred in a residential area near a few homes and had heartbreaking consequences—the crash cost the doting grandparents their lives.
