Pilot David Clapper was flying food and other supplies to a remote village in New Guinea Saturday.
Pilot David Clapper (rear) is shown in this 2005 photo
with his wife, Beth, and their children (from
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His plane was caught in a strong wind, family members said today, and crashed into a remote, jungle-covered mountainside.
Clapper, 46, a former Manheim resident and father of five children, died instantly.
"He died doing what he loved," his sister-in-law Marci Baum of Manheim said today.
Clapper worked as a missions pilot for the Catholic-run Associated Mission Aviation, based in Papua, New Guinea.
Two of his children had been staying with their grandparents, Peter and Mary Hernley, in Manheim this summer. Early today, they headed back to their home in Indonesia, where their father will be buried, Baum said.
Clapper and his wife, Beth Hernley Clapper, have lived in Indonesia for more than 10 years.
The couple decided to pursue mission work after they did volunteer service in Maine early in their marriage, Baum said.
Clapper decided he wanted to be a pilot and enrolled in Moody Bible Institute's aviation program.
Ervin Barkman, a private pilot from Bird-in-Hand, recalled today taking Clapper up for his first plane ride before Clapper started his aviation training.
It was a bumpy flight, and Clapper ended up getting sick, Barkman said.
"I always joked with him that God had him fly as a jungle pilot, in very tough conditions, after that," Barkman said.
"He just had a vision for jungle aviation," Barkman said.
Clapper worked delivering passengers, food and supplies, serving those who lived in remote areas of Indonesia and New Guinea.
"He was just so cut out for his work," his sister-in-law said. "It was extremely dangerous and he was greatly loved by the people there."
Clapper was both resourceful and determined, Baum said, noting that her sister told her that other pilots would say of difficult flights, "Clapper will get in. If anyone can get in, he can get in."
He was flying alone when he crashed. A plane dropped seven rescuers at the site to recover his body. They expected to wait until Tuesday to evacuate him, due to bad weather.
Clapper's parents, Don and Carol, live in Chambersburg.
Staff writer Cindy Stauffer can be reached at cstauffer@LNPnews.com or 481-6024.
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