NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — The community of Newburyport is mourning after a former mayor was killed when the plane he was flying crashed in Methuen.
At 1 p.m., Alan Lavender was flying his experimental aircraft when something went wrong, causing the plane to crash into the roof of a condo building.
Radio transmissions with the air field from the moments before the crash don’t indicate any signs of problems.
Lavender had spent years building the aircraft, and neighbors said his death is a shock.
“It's not good. I went over to see his wife already,” Erford Fowler said. “She's not too well right now.”
Lavender had served three terms on the Newburyport City Council and a brief stint as mayor.
“He will be missed and that our prayers are with you and if there's anything the city can do were here,” current Mayor Donna Holaday said.
Cox Media Group
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