Philadelphia Pilot killed in plane crash served in U.S. Army, had a newborn child

In the short time that Delorean Andrews knew Terrence Daniels, the 52-year-old Philadelphia pilot became one of his greatest inspirations.

Daniels sought out Andrews, a business student at Widener University who began working toward his pilot license a few months ago at the New Castle Airport, and quickly became a mentor. He encouraged Andrews to stick through the sometimes arduous and expensive process of obtaining a license to fly and often offered him a seat on his flights. 

Whenever his schedule allowed Andrews took him up on the offers.

"It was very inspirational to me, being a fellow African American pilot," Andrews said. 

A message lit up Andrews' phone Saturday night. It was Daniels asking if he wanted to join his flight the next morning.

"He texted me Saturday night asking me if I wanted to fly, if I wanted to go up," Andrews said. "That's how he said it, if I wanted to go up."

Andrews told him he couldn't make it.

Around 9 a.m. Sunday, Daniels' 1965 Beechcraft 55 Baron twin-engine plane crashed less than two miles from the New Castle runway on the side of I-95 near Churchmans Marsh.

Daniels and his passenger, long-time flight instructor Albert Dohring, were pronounced dead at the scene.

"He was very very intelligent about his passion for flying," Andrews said of Daniels. "He was a joy to speak to. It was very disheartening and sad to hear that he passed away."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pilot of plane that crashed near I-95 worked for Pennsylvania Department of Education

Preliminary accident information from the Federal Aviation Administration indicates it was a personal flight. 

Immediately after take off, Daniels notified the air-traffic control tower of an urgent need to return to the airport, the Delaware River and Bay Authority said. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said why the call was made is still unclear. 

NTSB had two investigators respond to the scene of the crash. They are preparing a preliminary report which NTSB expects to publish within the next two weeks.

So far NTSB has determined that the plane hit trees and the ground and came to a halt upside down with the left wing stuck in a tree. NTSB said it did not catch fire.

The plane has been transported to Massachusetts for further examination, NTSB said.

Daniels leaves behind his wife Christina and a one-year-old son named Grayson.

THE PASSENGER: Albert Dohring was a victim of a plane crash near I-95. To these pilots, he was also an old friend

A service for family and friends will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pennsylvania Burial Co. at 1327-29 S. Broad St. in Philadelphia, according to his obituary. An interment service with military honors will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. (guests are asked to arrive by 10:30 a.m.) at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 2645 Chesapeake City Rd.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to an educational account for Daniels' son.

Daniels was a former Army Air Cavalry staff sergeant who worked as an associate for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Daniels' wife, Christina Spaulding-Daniels told CBS 3 Philadelphia that he began flying in 2000. The Sept. 11 attacks inspired him to enlist in the Army.

Daniels eventually went back to school, earning a doctorate in education from Drexel University in 2017 after receiving a master's from Saint Joseph's University in Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University

Daniels had a strong social media presence, including a YouTube account under the screen name "Baron B55 Driver" where he posted videos of himself flying to and from the New Castle Airport.

On Facebook about a year ago, Daniels also posted a video of a close call, explaining that he had experienced engine failure, but was close enough to the airport to catch the runway. 

It was his birthday.

"You would think I had enough God-given sense not to go back flying," he said. "Nah, that's not me. That's not my style." 

"So happy birthday to me. Maybe I should be more careful since I have a new baby boy. Gonna think about it."  

Other pilots that fly from New Castle said the first few minutes after take off is the worst time to have any engine issues. In a twin-engine plane, if one engine fails the plane can invert. This is especially true when the functioning engine is operating at a high speed to get the plane off the ground during take off. 

If the plane isn't at cruising altitude, pilot Michael Schmuff said, the time a pilot has to react before the plane inverts is minimal. 

"If a normal flight is two hours long, your take off is only six minutes, eight minutes and the critical part is the first four," he said. "For it to happen in that time is the absolute worst possible time."

Less than three percent of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are African American according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Daniels was the rare pilot Andrews could see himself in.

Their most recent flight together was a one-day trip to Salisbury, Maryland. Daniels offered to let Andrews use the plane for the final stages of his test, which would save a lot of money, he said.

But after Sunday, Andrews was considering giving up on his goal of flying.

He then quickly reversed course, remembering Daniels as his inspiration and not a deterrent.

"I said to myself, 'I have to finish what I started and be an inspiration to other African American boys and girls who want to choose a career in aviation," Andrews said. 

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com or at (302) 324-2267. Follow on Twitter @holveck_brandon.