23-Year-Old Pilot From Linden Killed in New Hampshire Plane Crash

Investigators are searching for the cause of a plane crash that claimed the life of a 23-year-old Linden man on Friday (12/10).

Emanuel (Manny) Manny Vomvolakis was the only person on board when the Swearingen SA-226 went down before he was able to reach Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. He reported having engine trouble before the twin-engine plane went down outside a residential area.

His mother, Cindy Frohriep from Linden, praised her son for navigating the plane into a wooded area in order to avoid crashing into nearby homes.

“He also died a hero, managing to avoid hitting a large residential neighborhood and crashed just past it,” she posted on Facebook. “Manny was a remarkable young man and I will miss him beyond comprehension. There was no greater joy in my life than being his mom.”

Frohriep tells Boston TV station WBZ-TV that aviation was Manny's passion and that he loved talking about flying “every minute of his life.” Manny enjoyed talking with veteran pilots about their past experiences and loved mentoring younger pilots as they began their careers.

According to his obituary, a memorial fund is being established in Manny's memory to fund a scholarship program for aspiring aviators. You can find that that memorial fund here.

On a personal note, all of us here at Townsquare Media Flint would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Manny's family and friends. Many of us worked with his mother Cindy during her long tenure at Genesee Valley Center and wish to extend our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.