TAMPA (WFLA) – A beloved plastic surgeon from Tampa was killed when a twin-engine plane crashed in Indiana. According to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened in a soybean field on Saturday evening.
The local coroner’s office has identified the victim as 59-year-old Daniel P. Greenwald. It’s believed Dr. Greenwald died from blunt-force trauma in the crash. There was no one else on the plane.
“My own son has flown with him, that’s how close we were,” said Dr. Ravi Bukkapatnam.
Dr. Bukkapatnam is a Urologist and former Chief of Staff at Tampa General Hospital.
“Dan was trained so very well,” said Dr. Bukkapatnam.
“He was so special that there was never a time of the day or night that he wouldn’t be available for anybody for anything.”
Greenwald owned Bayshore Plastic Surgery on East Kennedy Boulevard. However, he was also on the staff at Tampa General Hospital for more than two decades.
Dr. Bukkapatnam says he tackled highly technical cases that others had deemed too difficult to perform.
“We did cases together last week, and spent the day in the operating room together,” said Dr. Bukkapatnam.
“I consider myself blessed to have crossed his path.
Greenwald was an experienced pilot with countless hours of flight time experience.
According to Dr. Bukkapatnam, the 59-year-old not only flew planes, but he built them. He would use his surgical and piloting skills to help people in need across the world. In 2018, Dr. Greenwald flew to Haiti. He brought medical supplies and performed surgeries.
“His love for his fellow man was just unbounded,” said Dr. Bukkapatnam.
Right now, NTSB investigators are on-scene in Indiana. It’ll be two more weeks before a preliminary report is released.
8 On Your Side Investigates has learned that the mangled plane was a Piper Aerostar 602P. The certification issue date was September 6, 2019.
The plane’s listed owner is Indiana Paging Network. A company representative declined to provide comment.
Dr. Greenwald leaves behind a wife and two children.
“We will never forget him,” said Dr. Bukkapatnam.
Tampa General Hospital released the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Dr. Daniel Greenwald, an outstanding member of our medical staff for more than two decades. He was an immensely talented surgeon who took on the most complex cases and mastered them. We will remember Dr. Greenwald’s sparkling intellect, his kindness to everyone he met, and his great enthusiasm, not just for surgical innovation, but for living life to the fullest. He cared intensely about his family, his colleagues, and his friends. No matter how busy he was, he always took time to connect with the people around him with sincerity and empathy. He was deeply dedicated to his patients, including those who faced devastating traumatic injuries, and his rare skills brought so many of them healing and renewed health. All of us at TGH are grieving his loss. We send our deepest sympathies to his family.”
8 On Your Side will follow this story.
