'Tell my family I love them': Pilot remembered as dedicated OBGYN

In the midst of engine problems, Christopher Wiltcher asked air traffic controllers last Tuesday to deliver an important message.

"Tell my family I love them."

Not long after, Wiltcher’s single-engine Piper PA-32 crashed in a residential neighborhood in Brentwood. He was the lone person on board. Wiltcher, a traveling OBGYN physician, was 62.

The fatal crash occurred on a section of Old Smyrna Road which winds between woods, fields and homes near Wilson Pike.

Wiltcher received multiple emergency landing options — Nashville BNA, Murfreesboro and Smyrna. He chose Nashville.

A National Transportation Safety Board report said Wiltcher alerted air traffic control of partial engine loss before seeking emergency landing. The report said the plane was traveling to Fayetteville, Tenn. for repairs.

All six cylinders were rusted in the plane's engine, according to the NTSB report.

Plane crash:One killed after small plane crashes in Brentwood

Physician's peers: He was dedicated to patients

Wiltcher, who spent more than 30 years in medicine, impacted various employees he worked with.

"Dr. Wiltcher was dedicated to his patients and treated them like would want a family member to be treated," said Melissa Cull, director of the Spring View Hospital Women's Center. "He was an exceptionally smart physician who had kind and humble heart."

Paige Bright, the director of patient access, said Wiltcher worked for Spring View since May 2022.

Fellow OBGYN Mark Ackermann said Wiltcher was a genuine person who always put the care of his patients first.

As a traveling OBGYN, Wiltcher worked for several medical facilities, including Cookeville Regional Medical Center, where he last worked on Oct. 11, according to medical center's human resources department.

Wiltcher: Medical career included stint at Fort Campbell

Prior to traveling services, Wiltcher planted roots as an OBGYN in Middle Tennessee and Kentucky, working at Fort Campbell's Blanchfield Army Community Hospital from March 2009 to April 2016.

"We are saddened to hear about the loss of Dr. Wiltcher. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and friends. Dr. Wiltcher worked with our Women's Health team and offered compassionate care to our patients as a contract OBGYN provider," said Blanchfield public affairs officer Laura Boyd.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Colleagues remember pilot who died in plane crash as dedicated, smart