Octorara Area School District board president killed in plane crash Thursday: superintendent [update] | Community News

The board president of the Octorara Area School District was killed in a plane crash in Chester County on Thursday afternoon, according to the district superintendent. 

The victim, Sam Ganow, of Cochranville, “was not only a dedicated member of the Octorara Area School District School Board but also a cherished and respected member of our community. Mr. Ganow served the Octorara community as a school board member for 26 years,” Superintendent Steven Leever wrote on the district’s webpage and Facebook page.

Leever’s message said memorial details would be shared later and that counselors and support services will be available for students and staff.

Ganow was aboard a GA-7 Cougar that crashed around 1:30 p.m. Thursday in a yard near a house next to Sunny Cove Cabinetry, 601 Old Wilmington Road, in West Caln Township. That’s about six miles east of Gap.

The plane is a twin-engine, four-seater built in 1978, according to the Federal Aviation Administration registry.

A message was left at a phone number listed for Ganow’s wife, Kendelyn Ganow, on Thursday afternoon.

Leever’s message said Ganow was a school board member for 26 years.

“His commitment to education and his tireless efforts to enhance the educational experience for our students made a lasting impact on our school district,” the message said. “Personally, Sam was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather, active member of his local church community and the owner of an equipment rental business for decades. For years he has also been deeply committed to the international skiing circuit, serving as a judge for hundreds of ski events all around the US and the world.”

The plane is owned by Mr. Dent, a car repair business based in Manheim. A message left there Thursday afternoon was not immediately returned.

Jason Morrison, formerly of Lititz and now of Downingtown, is listed as president and owner of Mr. Dent. A phone message was left for him Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Dent leases four to five hangars at Chester County Airport in Coatesville, according to minutes from the August meeting of the Chester County Area Airport Authority.