Pilot dies after small plane crash in south suburbs

A Frankfort dentist who’d been flying for 40-plus years died after the experimental, single-engine plane he was piloting crashed Tuesday evening in the south suburbs.

Lawrence Jagmin, 70, crashed about 5:15 p.m. on the ramp from Illinois 394 to Lincoln Highway in Ford Heights, according to Illinois State Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

“This is devastating,” said Jagmin’s sister-in-law, Maureen Jagmin. She is married to one of Jagmin’s two brothers, Gary Jagmin.

His plane struck a light pole and a vehicle before stopping on an embankment, according to a statement from the FAA, which is investigating the crash.

The pilot was airlifted to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, state police said.

An autopsy found he died of multiple blunt force injuries from the crash and ruled his death an accident, the medical examiner’s office said.

The sister-in-law said she didn’t have information about a possible cause of the accident and believes Lawrence Jagmin was flying alone. She noted there had been several lightning strikes Tuesday evening in the Frankfort area, which is about 15 miles from the crash site.

Lawrence Jagmin had been a dentist for 42 years, practicing with his brother, Gary Jagmin, in Chicago Heights and Dyer, Indiana, Maureen Jagmin said. Another brother, Jeff Jagmin, an anesthesiologist, lives in South Barrington, she said.

Lawrence Jagmin was married with two children and a grandson, his sister-in-law said.

“Pilots run in the family,” the sister-in-law said.

She described the plane as a newer model and one that Lawrence Jagmin had built himself. He kept it at Lansing Municipal Airport, she said.

Kurt Harmon, owner of Windy City Aero, based at the airport, said Jagmin had been at the controls of an airplane about 10 years ago when it came down in a muddy field just south of the airport.

“It had moderate damage,” Harmon said, noting the front landing gear had buckled. “He repaired it and [made] some changes to it.”

Harmon, who recovered the aircraft, said Jagmin was not hurt in the incident.

The sister-in-law said the two brothers were “best buddies,” and were both motorcycle enthusiasts. In August, they had traveled to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the annual motorcycle rally there. They both had Harley-Davidson motorcycles, she said.

State police said Jagmin was piloting a 2018 Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair III.