Pilot Killed in East Haven Crash Was Traveling With Son, 17

This article was written by Patch editor Venice Buhain with additional reporting by Jenn McCulloch, Julie Weisberg, Paul Petrone and Fay Abrahamsson.

Bill Henningsgaard, an ex-Microsoft vice president, and his son were killed in a small plane Friday morning that crashed into two homes in East Haven. The crash likely killed two children who were in the home at the time, according to East Haven officials. 

The Daily Astorian newspaper in Astoria, OR,  first identified Henningsgaard after speaking with Astoria Mayor Willis Van Dusen, a friend of Henningsgaard's family. Van Dusen told the paper that Henningsgaard's son was on board the aircraft with him.

The New Haven Register identified Henningsgaard's son as 17-year-old Maxwell, who was visiting college campuses with his father.

Henningsgaard, was a resident of Medina and a founder of Eastside Pathways, an umbrella organization that aims to connect different service agencies and advocates for bridging the education gap in Bellevue schools.

“Bill Henningsgaard was a true advocate for education and children and tremendous support for the Bellevue community. We have lost a dear friend,” said Bellevue School District superintendent Tim Mills in a prepared statement.  

"What a loss to the community," said Bellevue Deputy Mayor Jennifer Robertson. "He was a leader in making a difference, and he was the force behind Eastside Pathways. Prayers go out to him and his family." 

Bellevue Mayor Conrad Lee said Henningsgard's passing was shocking. 

"He's a young man who's done quite a bit," he said. "He has done a great job with the Eastside Pathways program. I hope what he has done can continue. What he's done will make a difference."

A ParentMap magazine profile of Henningsgaard, which named him one of the "2013 Superheroes for Washington Families," said Henningsgaard, who had been a Microsoft executive for 14 years, was inspired to start Eastside Pathways with John Stokes, now a Bellevue councilman, when he saw how many children were struggling in Bellevue's schools.

"They were facing hurdles connected to poverty, language and mobility, and our schools weren’t able to close the resulting gaps," Henningsgaard told ParentMap.

Patti Skelton-McGougan, Executive Director of Youth Eastside Services, remembered Henningsgaard, who was a trustee of the organization and led the campaign to raise $10.7 million for a new YES facility. 

"Bill Henningsgaard was an amazing man and an integral part of helping Youth Eastside Services grow to better meet the needs of youth and families in our community," she said in a prepared statement. "This is a tremendous loss for the community, but our hearts especially go out to his family."

"Bill was a huge advocate for kids and was a trusted and generous supporter of our community. Our thoughts are with Bill's family and in particular his wife and children," wrote Kim Estes, a safety educator who runs Savvy Parents, Safe Kids.

Henningsgaard grew up in Astoria, OR, and his family retains strong ties to the community, according to the local paper, The Daily Astorian. His brother, Blair Henningsgaard, is the Astoria city attorney, and his mother, Edith Henningsgaard-Miller, is a former mayor.

Henningsgaard and his son are survived by his wife, Susan Sullivan. They have two other children, according to Henningsgaard's biography on Social Venture Partners, a group that connects philanthropists with nonprofits.

East Haven Patch updated the breaking news story of the crash.

The small plane crashed into a house on Charter Oak Avenue in East Haven at around 11:25 a.m., and two children who were in the home at the time were likely killed, according to Joseph Maturo, East Haven's mayor.

Maturo said at a press conference Friday afternoon that a mother was home with her 13-year-old and 1-year-old children when the plane hit her home at Charter Oak Avenue. The mother was able to get out of the house on her own, according to Maturo. 

The plane took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and was set to land at Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport, according to airport manager Lori Hoffman-Soares. The plane missed its approach at Tweed but was in communication with the control tower until the crash, she said.

The pilot showed no sense of panic, according to Hoffman-Soares. Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport has since been closed, she said. The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over at the scene. 

The home was heavily damaged by the ensuing fire. Fire departments from East Haven, New Haven, Hamden, Branford and North Branford, and possibly other towns, responded to the scene. 

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy arrived at the scene of the crash later in the day and toured the site with Maturo, according to the New Haven Register. 

In 2009, Pilot Bill Henningsgaard and his mother were flying to Seattle when they made a crash landing into the Columbia River, where Columbia River Bar Pilots rescued the pair, the Register reported.