YSU President reflects on devastating plane crash and legacy of victims
YOUNGSTOWN Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson is mourning what he calls a heartbreaking and personal loss after six people were killed in a plane crash Sunday morning in Howland Township. The victims included two pilots set to teach in YSU’s aviation program, as well as four members of the Weller family—longtime supporters of the university.
"This has been devastating for our community," Johnson told 21 News. Just days before the crash, both pilots—Joseph Maxin and Timothy Blake—attended a ribbon cutting for YSU’s new aviation program. “Joe and Tim were the best of the best,” Johnson said, adding that Maxin was not only a leader in aviation but also his own son’s personal flight instructor.
The Weller family—James and Veronica, their son John, and his wife Maria—were also killed when the twin-engine Cessna crashed minutes after taking off from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. The family was en route to their Montana home.
The Wellers’ connection to YSU runs deep. James Weller Jr.’s father helped found Liberty Steel in 1965, and the family’s contributions to the university include the donation that named Weller House, a graduate housing facility on campus.
“Their contributions go all the way back into the ’90s… many, many people throughout the years have known who the Wellers are,” Johnson said.
Johnson also shared that his son was deeply impacted by the death of Maxin. “It’s going to be a while before I can get in an airplane and fly,” his son told him. But he added that the only way to honor Maxin is “to continue on and take what he taught me and put it to good use.”
Johnson said the community must now come together to support those left behind, including James Weller III. “We still have a Weller legacy living on here,” he said.
The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA. As the university and region grieve, Johnson says the names of those lost will not be forgotten—and their impact will continue to shape the skies and community they helped build.
