Plane crash in Portage investigated

The investigation has begun into the Sunday plane crash that killed a 34-year-old Akron man.

The effort to find a cause for the crash offers little consolation to those dealing with the loss of Jason V. Thomas -- an aspiring pilot, husband and father of two young daughters.

``I'm just numb right now,'' said Mike Kolomichuk, president of American Winds Flight Academy at the Akron Fulton International Airport. ``He was an excellent student, a very qualified individual as far as having mastery and proficiency to fly an aircraft.''

Thomas, the sole passenger of a single engine, academy-owned Cherokee Piper, had been flying to Youngstown for a test flight when witnesses said the plane began circling, then suddenly nose-dived into a Portage County farm field about one mile north of Edinburg Township and about five miles southeast of Ravenna.

The resident of the 700 block of Akron's Florida Avenue was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:35 p.m.

An autopsy on Monday noted ``massive blunt force trauma'' as the cause of death, but toxicology results will take three to four weeks, said Portage County Coroner Roger G. Marcial.

Kolomichuk said Thomas visited the airport often with wife Dawn, 27, and daughters Alyssa Marie, 6, and Savannah Rose, 5.

``It's like a family atmosphere here. Jason was like family,'' he said.

While investigations continue by the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Ohio State Highway Patrol, Kolomichuk's academy of about 100 students anxiously awaits the results.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the State Highway Patrol at 330-297-1441.

Meanwhile, Thomas' wife is asking donations be made to benefit funds in the names of their children at any Charter One Bank location.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.