RUSH TOWNSHIP -- The Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate a crash that injured a man on the Schuylkill/Dauphin County line.
All is calm at the Bendigo Airport in Rush Township, but that wasn't the case just a day before.
"The plane just went up and turned to the left and came right down over here in the field," airport manager Gene Bendigo said.
On Wednesday, Herbert Rose, 60, of nearby Sacramento was piloting his plane when it crashed on the runway. He was critically injured.
"He's a real nice guy, you can't meet a better guy," Bendigo said.
Bendigo has known Rose for about five years now. He said, that's when Rose, who is a retired mechanical engineer, started building the plane that crashed.
"He's very particular about everything he does with that plane," Bendigo said. "He doesn't buy anything but the best. The FAA came six months ago and did the final inspection on it and approved it for him to fly."
He and many others in the community are saddened by what happened to him. Gas station cashier Janet Shutt got to know Rose during his many visits to the store in nearby Reinerton.
"He would always come in and get his items and he would joke with you," Shutt said. "He was always very nice."
She remembers how dedicated he was to building his plane.
"I live near where the hangar is and I could see him going up," Shutt said. "He really enjoyed flying. He was very meticulous about how he put the plane together."
So does Bendigo. He's hoping that Rose pulls through.
"We all feel for him after all the hours he put in there..." Bendigo said. "He's always a happy go lucky guy, you know?"