Ronald Diehl Jr., of Quakertown. (Submitted photos)
A man from Quakertown, Ronald Diehl Jr., is being honored with a Carnegie Medal for Heroism after rescuing flight instructor Philip McPherson from a burning plane wreck in Salisbury Township on September 28, 2022.
Diehl, a carpenter, witnessed the crash of a single-engine Piper PA-28 on Keystone Road and bravely pulled McPherson from the wreckage as the plane exploded, according to The Morning Call.
McPherson survived with burns, but his student, Keith Kozel, 49, of Easton, died in the incident.
Despite his heroic efforts, Diehl was uninjured.
McPherson is currently facing federal involuntary manslaughter charges, having previously surrendered his pilot’s certificate following two other crashes.
A partial engine power loss was identified as the cause of the crash by investigators, per the report.
