A female flight instructor and a father-to-be are presumed dead after a small plane crashed into Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana on Nov. 24.
The plane, a Cessna Skyhawk, disappeared from radar at around 6:30 p.m. Monday approximately four miles to the New Orleans Lakefront Airport’s north, the U.S. Coast Guard said, according to WWLTV. The plane had taken off at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport earlier in the evening. No distress call was made using either the approach or tower radio frequencies and it’s unclear who was controlling the aircraft at the time, Michael Carastro, owner of Apollo Flight Training, said during a Nov. 25 press conference.
Reports identified the flight instructor as 30-year-old Taylor Dickey. Carastro said Dickey was “highly qualified” and her student was training for his commercial pilot’s license. A U.S. Navy spokesperson confirmed Lt. David Jahn was aboard the aircraft to the Daily Caller. The 30-year-old was the student as well as an expectant father, NOLA.com reported. The U.S. Navy confirmed Jahn’s identity with his family’s consent.
Search teams performed recovery efforts an hour after the crash, discovering a seat cushion and other debris believed to be from the aircraft, the Coast Guard said. Search efforts continued for almost two days before being suspended Nov. 26. The New Orleans Police Department said Nov. 28 it had identified additional items it believed to be debris from the plane, according to WWLTV.
In addition, the United Cajun Navy said it had located more wreckage from the crash using specialized sonar, divers, and search dogs.
Carastro addressed his firm’s reaction to the crash. “It was an unbelievable tragedy … I’ve been instructing for 46 years. I’ve never — never —had this. This is my first. So it’s hitting me pretty hard, too, as long as the rest of the employees here at Apollo and Million Air, because both individuals were very well-liked. And so we’re devastated,” Carastro said.
He described the impact of the crash as “very, very violent.” (RELATED: Police Shoot Knife-Wielding Man Who Allegedly Charged At Officers)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations into the incident.
Jahn’s family issued a statement via the U.S. Navy. “David was a man of God and dedicated to his family. His character will live on in his wife and their expected child. He loved the gift of life and embraced living to the fullest, with a love of exploring, adventure, and travel, always guided by Jesus and his service to others and his country,” the statement read.