Paramotor enthusiasts recall memories of pilot who died in northern Poconos crash

Jeffrey Ronald Chorba, the pilot of the paramotor ultralight aircraft that crashed in a rural area of Berlin Township, Wayne County on May 13, was pronounced dead at the scene. Chorba was highly experienced at flying that type of craft.

This was a passion of his, having flown thousands of times. He had said he may have been the first person from Wayne or Pike counties to embrace this sport.

These small crafts consist basically of a metal or carbon fiber frame and seat, motor and propeller to the rear and a large, crescent fabric sail or glider arched overhead. The whole craft is nimble enough to be folded up and carried in a car, and yet can take a person nearly 18,000 feet up with the breeze and sun on one's face.

One type requires the pilot to launch by running with the craft strapped on his or her back. The type Chorba was using has a tricycle frame, and is launched on wheels. No license is needed to fly one according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

From the ground far away, they might look like an unusual mosquito silhouetted against the dawn or billowing cloudscapes. They hold someone such as Chorba, maneuvering in the sky, his feet in mid-air. He and pilots like him help fulfill an ancient dream of humanity— to fly where the eagles soar.

Chorba, a 52-year-old resident of Beach Lake was flying not far from home, Friday, May 13. At approximately 7:50 a.m., a resident at 27 Barracuda Boulevard, just off Route 652, called 9-1-1 after discovering the aircraft down in a field on their property, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Chorba was only four miles from his home near Welcome Lake Fire Department.

There are only about 10 paramotor pilots in northeast Pennsylvania, from Wyoming to Wayne counties, Chorba's close friend and fellow pilot Patrick Sekely said. All were very close to Chorba, he said.

The three that responded to a call for comments expressed their feelings of sadness and wished to offer him tribute.

They have in common a vested interest in knowing what happened. An educated debate has been running high over what could have befallen the machine Chorba flew that morning.

2021 interview

In June of 2021, this writer interviewed Chorba in connection with a story about a paramotor flying adventure to catch the sunrise over Beach Lake on June 11. The Sun was undergoing a partial solar eclipse at the time, making a spectacular scene as the darkened Moon left only a slim crescent Sun to shine over the landscape below.

Chorba had plans to fly from the Wayne County Poor Farm athletic field in Berlin Township to see the eclipse from this unique perspective, far above any ground haze or fog. Unfortunately, his motor wouldn't start and he didn't get to fly that morning. His friend Judson Graham, a fellow paramotor pilot, had been invited to fly with him in his other, tandem paramotor craft. Graham and his girlfriend went up in that craft where he made a video of the eclipsed sunrise, sharing it afterwards with Tri-County Independent.

Chorba is shown on the video, at the end.

Chorba stated in that interview that as far as he knew, he was the first person in Wayne or Pike counties to fly a paramotor. He said he liked to introduce people to the paramotor sport.

He said a lot of people are interested, although some object to its noise so he would try to avoid flying near populated areas. A couple hours around sunrise or sunset are ideal times, because the air is often calm.

"It's hard to describe in words… I never tire of paramotoring. It never gets old. In four years plus, I have probably made 2,000 flights." Chorba said.

"To see the world from above is a whole different perspective from the sky," Chorba said in the June 2021 interview. "It looks so pristine."

He spoke of the expanse of fields and forest of Wayne County down below him. He said they can still see details at 300 to 500 feet up. He added, "The lower you go, the more risk. You have more time to correct a maneuver higher up."

Legally they can fly to 17,999 feet, he told the Independent, but you need oxygen equipment over 12,000.

"We go to 6,000 to 8,000 feet." Chorba said. Most small engine planes are some 500 feet higher, which he said poses little risk; they stay clear of airports.

Often paramotor pals would fly their machines together, keeping in touch by helmet radios. As Chorba was being interviewed by phone that day, he was heading to Jersey Shore to fly with his friend Judson.

"We're a small point in the 3D sky, it's a lot less risky than on the roadway." He said. Although a license isn't required, he said, there is training involved and safety rules to follow.

Chorba posted many pictures of his paramotor flying adventures on his Facebook page. Among them are amazing scenes of piloting his craft near Philadelphia and close to Washington, D.C.; pastoral and wooded landscapes; flights over a wind farm, the Nicholson Viaduct, the Wayne County Fair and even among hot air balloons. Some show brilliant, colorful sunrises or sunsets, and soaring with the clouds. Earlier photos depict white water rafting at Skinner's Falls and scaling Irving Cliff, Honesdale.

Chorba became interested in pursuing paramotoring after being inspired by videos of Tucker Gott's flights. He and Gott became friends, and would fly together, Joe Parker stated. Gott is from Asbury, NJ.

Chorba was president and owner of a computer repair/ I.T. business, Chorba Consulting, Inc, which he started in 1993. Jeffrey is the son of Eileen and the late Ronald Chorba of Beach Lake, who died just a few months ago. Jeffrey has a brother Stephen and a sister Ellen.

Sekely offered a comment for his late friend, addressing Jeff directly:

"You've been an amazing friend to me over the years sharing our passion for this sport together. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten," Sekely said. "As my instructor that trained me in this paramotor sport to the friendship we've had I'll always be smiling up at you knowing you're watching over us keeping us safe."

Of interest:Poconos paramotor pilot catches fiery crescent sunrise

Training to fly

Sekely, who lives in Wyoming County, said that Chorba had become certified as an instructor and trained Sekely to fly, but was looking at insurance he would need before training others. Chorba did, however, teach people to maneuver a para-glider on the ground, an important step before actually flying. A paraglider lacks a motor for powered flight…You were a strong impact on my life and with that I will never forget you. Fly high, Jeff Chorba.""We should all aspire to be like him for how caring, hardworking and loving of a person he was that would always take the time to help anyone in need," Sekely said.

"He was a really solid guy who encouraged me a lot and gave me lots of wisdom for life," Chorba's friend, paramotor pilot Ben Stang of Wyoming County, said. Stang said that he and Chorba would enjoy talking to each other about their Christian faith. Parker was also very generous, Stang said, fondly recalling times he took him and Sekely out for dinner and picked up the tab.

He said he first contacted Chorba on Instagram after seeing a picture posted of Chorba's flight near the Nicholson Bridge. Stang introduced him to Sekely.

Chorba started taking airplane pilot lessons. The very day before his death, Chorba was at Cherry Ridge Airport where he made his first flight accompanied by his instructor sitting next to him, Joe Parker, another of Chorba's paramotor pilot friends said.

Parker, who flies from Watts Hill near his home in Honesdale, has known Chorba since the 1990s. Parker is also a licensed airplane pilot. Chorba was helping him with some computer work and told him about his paramotoring. Chorba invited him out to a field near his house and helped Parker with some ground training on a paraglider so Parker too could become a paramotor pilot.

In the nearly four years Parker has been flying a paramotor he has logged about 175 flights, and achieved advanced certification.

He compared his opportunities to fly this sport with Chorba's thousands. "He was the leader of the pack and inspired us," Parker said, adding that without Chorba and Austin Wolf there probably wouldn't be anyone else doing this around here.

He would often get together with Chorba to fly their paramotors. On Wednesday, May 11, just two days before the accident, they had flown together.

The morning of Friday, May 13, Parker was at work at Prompton Tool Inc. when a fellow employee came and told him he had heard on a police scanner that a paramotor had crashed near Beach Lake, with entrapment. Parker tried calling his friend Chorba, but he received no response.

Parker drove to the scene where he met State Police and other emergency responders. Parker was able to identify Chorba for the State Police, and answer their questions about the craft, which was the start of the investigation.

Suspected malfunction

Parker stated that the cloud ceiling was only about 1,000 feet— the rules require that a paramotor pilot stay beneath the cloud layer or have a continuous view of the ground.

He stressed that he does not know the cause of the crash, and it was still under investigation. Parker added he believed there was an issue of some nature with the glider portion of the craft. Parker said it appeared the craft went practically straight down.

What was clear, he stated, was that Chorba had attempted to save himself and had deployed the reserve chute.

The problem, Parker stated, was that there was not sufficient altitude for the reserve chute to fully open in time.He said they would be looking at Chorba's smartphone which has a program installed that records a paramotor's flight path, speed and elevation. Parker likened it to a "black box" on an airliner but in this case, it depends on if the pilot turned on the program.

Parker reflected that he did not think that the incident would stop him or other paramotor pilots from flying again.

"I'll inspect my glider more closely." he said.

Among the safety tips paramotor pilots should follow, Parker said, was if an emergency landing is needed, if possible, land in trees which will help cushion the fall if coming straight down. Avoid power lines and water. Fly at a high enough altitude in the event the time is needed to make a correction. Keep up routine inspections of gear including good inspections before every flight.

The police report, issued the same morning of the crash, stated that the cause of the crash was still under investigation. The nature of the incident was listed as accidental. Parker said that the FAA was expected to assist in the State Police probe.

Wayne County Coroner Edward Howell and Deputy Coroners pronounced Chorba dead at the scene at 9:12 a.m. The autopsy was held Monday, May 16. The coroner's report states that Chorba's death was caused by blunt force injuries due to the aviation crash, and was ruled as accidental.

"He had a lot of experience," Parker said of his friend Jeff. Stang added that Chorba was "very meticulous" about safety.

"God must have figured it was his time and He took him doing the thing he loved the most," Parker said.