Pilot killed in plane crash was devoted family man - Tucson News Now

CBS 5 is learning more about one of the men killed in a deadly mid-air crash near Lake Pleasant.

Paul Brownell, 37, died after his plane went down west of Interstate 17 off the Carefree Highway Friday at about 10 a.m.

Friends told CBS 5 that Brownell was the director of Standardization at Trans-Pac and had worked for the company for eight years.

Angie McMahon knew Brownell for nearly a decade. She said it was obvious his passion was flying.

"His face would light up when he would talk about it. He enjoyed it because of the adventure," said McMahon.

McMahon said the only thing Brownell loved more than being in the air was being with his family.

"He was just one of those men who if he let you inside, he was going to hold on to you forever. He was never going to walk away and he would do whatever it was that you needed," said McMahon.

Brownell was married and the father of two young sons.

"He just loved Jen. He loved Jen so much and he loved those boys," said McMahon.

Brownell survived cancer, was a marathon runner and worked with youth ministries at Calvary Community Church. McMahon said it's her faith that's helping her cope with such a tremendous loss.

"It's comforting knowing that he's with Jesus and that he's looking down and he's at peace," said McMahon.

TransPac officials said Monday another of its flight instructors was killed in the crash - 26-year-old Basil Onuferko.

They said Onuferko joined TransPac on May 20.

The names of the two people who died in the other plane haven't been released. That single-engine plane reportedly was registered to an aircraft leasing company.

[Related: 4 dead in mid-air collision west of Anthem]

Copyright 2013 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.