Pilot who died in NJ forest crash was flying 1940s era plane

BASS RIVER — A 75-year-old man was identified as the victim of a small plane crash on Sunday.

State Police said William Lindley, of Beachwood, was killed in the crash of a 1940s era small plane in the Bass River State Forest in the New Gretna section of this township. He was the only person on board.

Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy said the Ryan Navion A was due from Salisbury, Maryland, at the Ocean County Airport in Berkeley Township, also known as the Robert J. Miller Airport.

The Ryan Navion A is a single-engine, four-seater plane first built at the end of World War II. It is still built today by Ryan Aeronautical Co.

A similar plane crashed in Blairstown on Nov. 10, killing its pilot, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

A search was started early Sunday morning in southern Ocean County and northern Burlington County. Lindley's cell phone was tracked to that area and a Coast Guard helicopter spotted the plane a few hours later.

State Police and the Forest Fire Service were also involved in the search. The NTSB is investigating the crash and would not say if Sunday's high winds played a role. Winds gusted between 40 and 50 mph.

Lindley's wife MaryAnn died earlier this year.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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