Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Philip McPherson II was sentenced on June 11th, 2026, to 78 months in federal prison for the 2022 crash that killed student pilot Keith Kozel — a 49-year-old father of two who had no idea his instructor had surrendered his certificate nearly a year before the flight. McPherson instructed 79 hours across 42 flights without a valid certificate. Flight school owner Nouman Saleem pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction charges. McPherson is permanently banned from the aviation industry.
This is the final legal chapter in a case we've covered since the crash. It's also a story about what student pilots can do right now to verify their instructor is who they say they are.
— PARTNERS & SPONSORS —
▸ AEROVERSE – Use code TakingOff for 15% off! → aeroverse.com
▸ FlyingEyes Optics – Get 10% off pilot glasses → flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/taking-offs-discount
▸ Colten Mortgage – Residential mortgage & refi, run by a pilot! → coltenmortgage.com/takingoff
▸ XeVision – Extreme LED Landing Lights. The only competitor is the sun! → xevision.com (xevision.com/)
▸ Clemens Insurance – Your broker should be fighting for you. Call Clemens! → clemensinsurance.net
▸ Marshal Protective Services – Private Security Elevated! → mpsprotects.com
▸ METAR Maps – The large METAR map on our set! Mention TakingOff when you order → metarmaps.com
▸ Lightspeed Headsets – Support us by buying through our link → lightspeedaviation.com/?ref=13
Philip McPherson II was sentenced on June 11th, 2026, to 78 months in federal prison for the 2022 crash that killed student pilot Keith Kozel — a 49-year-old father of two who had no idea his instructor had surrendered his certificate nearly a year before the flight. McPherson instructed 79 hours across 42 flights without a valid certificate. Flight school owner Nouman Saleem pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction charges. McPherson is permanently banned from the aviation industry.
This is the final legal chapter in a case we've covered since the crash. It's also a story about what student pilots can do right now to verify their instructor is who they say they are.
— PARTNERS & SPONSORS —
▸ AEROVERSE – Use code TakingOff for 15% off! → aeroverse.com
▸ FlyingEyes Optics – Get 10% off pilot glasses → flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/taking-offs-discount
▸ Colten Mortgage – Residential mortgage & refi, run by a pilot! → coltenmortgage.com/takingoff
▸ XeVision – Extreme LED Landing Lights. The only competitor is the sun! → xevision.com (xevision.com/)
▸ Clemens Insurance – Your broker should be fighting for you. Call Clemens! → clemensinsurance.net
▸ Marshal Protective Services – Private Security Elevated! → mpsprotects.com
▸ METAR Maps – The large METAR map on our set! Mention TakingOff when you order → metarmaps.com
▸ Lightspeed Headsets – Support us by buying through our link → lightspeedaviation.com/?ref=13
