 It was estimated that at the time of the accident, he had accumulated about 11,724 total flying hours, of which 5,720 hours were in the EMB-120.He had been involved in the development of the EMB-120, and its introduction to service in the United States, and was trained to fly the aircraft by the manufacturer.An inspector described his knowledge of aircraft systems "extensive", and his pilot techniques as "excellent".First Officer Hank Johnston, age 36, was hired by Atlantic Southeast Airlines in June 1988.