Princeton pilot in crash was business owner

The man who died in a plane crash north of the Twin Cities Monday was the owner of a business in Princeton.

Kevin Covlin, 51, was the only person aboard the Piper PA-22 when it crashed on takeoff from Princeton's municipal airport.

Covlin was co-owner of Flr Sanders, a company that installs and maintains gymnasium floors.

Dillon Cariveau, an employee of the company, said Covlin was a great boss who was dedicated to the business.

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"He was always friendly. He always came up and greeted you in the morning with a handshake and liked to joke around, Cariveau said. "You can tell he enjoyed what he did. Everyone enjoyed working for him."

Cariveau says Covlin was flying out on a hunting trip with his dog, which survived the crash.

Colvin's plane went down about 150 feet from the runway. Princeton's airport is not staffed.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the accident investigation.