Young flight instructor with ‘intense love’ for flying killed in plane crash a month after landing commercial pilot job offer

A 22-year-old aspiring airline pilot with an “intense love and passion for flying” was killed in a small plane crash in Colorado a month after landing a gig as a commercial pilot.

Niles Tilenius, 22, was among two people aboard an ultra-light JMB Aircraft that tragically crashed near Erie Municipal Airport runway, about 25 miles outside of Denver, at around 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, Denver 7 reported.

Tilenius was flying the small plane with 21-year-old student pilot William Johnston when it went down, killing them both.

The small plane was making its fifth touch-and-go landing when it suddenly plunged nose-first into a grassy patch beside the Erie runway, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

A witness told investigators they saw the plane tumble through the air before impact. Investigators noted the aircraft’s built-in parachute system was never deployed.

The 22-year-old pilot’s family revealed the crash was “likely as a result of fierce, sudden, unexpected wind shear overwhelming their small plane close to the runway,” according to an online obituary.

The Erie Police Department said the FAA and the NTSB are conducting joint investigations to determine what caused the fatal crash.

Tilenius — whose parents, Stephanie and Eric Tilenius, are successful CEOs from Hillsborough, California — had been working as a flight instructor and was recently accepted into United Airlines’ elite Aviate Program.

Tilenius’s loved ones described him as a young man with an “intense love and passion for flying.” He earned his pilot’s license from ATP Flight School after attending Case Western Reserve University, later gaining his instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and flight instructor credentials.

“He subsequently gained his instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and flight instructor credentials,” his obituary states.

“He was accepted into United Airlines’ Aviate program, which gives young aviators a fast-track to a first officer job at United. Niles also volunteered for charity flights with Angel Flight West. Niles always led with love and looked for ways to help others; his life was one filled with authenticity and empathy.”

Just a month before the crash, Tilenius had landed two commercial pilot job offers — ultimately choosing GoJet Airlines, a United Express carrier.

He was scheduled to begin on Nov. 18 and was “tremendously excited to be starting that new chapter in his aviation career.”

“He was overjoyed and proud to have been able to follow his dreams in a tough hiring environment. He was truly doing what he loved,” his family shared.

“Fellow pilots, students, and aviation industry figures hailed Niles as a very intelligent, careful, thorough, skilled, and detail-oriented pilot who brought an infectious love for aviation to all around him,” his obituary noted.

“Niles had finally found his true calling, only to have it cruelly cut out from under him.”

Beyond his love of flying, Tilenius was a talented entertainer, with a passion for theatre and music.

“Niles kept his love for music and entertaining going in recent years by working for Main Stage Productions of Palo Alto, CA as a Master of Ceremonies, bringing his exuberant energy and joy to bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and corporate events,” his family said.