Pilot in Fallston plane crash last week remains in critical condition, cause of crash still unclear

Jason Fontelieu, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
Updated ·1 min read

Apr. 18—The victim in last week's Fallston plane crash is still in critical condition as of Tuesday, according to a University of Maryland Medical System spokesperson.

The injured pilot is Richard Caral Spatz, of Rockville, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

The aircraft, a Vans Aircraft RV-14A, crashed near the departure end of Fallston Airport's Runway 22 Thursday afternoon, according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson. Crews arrived at the airport on Reckord Road at about 3:15 p.m. and found the crashed aircraft.

Only Spatz was on board at the time of the crash, the FAA confirmed. Spatz was also listed as the owner of the aircraft, according to FAA records.

Spatz was taken by Maryland State Police helicopter to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, where he remains hospitalized.

The single-engine plane crashed near the departure end of a runway, according to the FAA. The agency said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation. NTSB did not send an investigator to the scene of the accident, but it is working with the FAA, who examined the aircraft and documented the scene for the investigation. The reason for the crash is listed as unknown, according to the FAA's incident report.