Crash in Lake Pontchartrain: Two Presumed Dead
A female flight instructor and an expectant father are presumed dead after a small plane went down in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, on November 24.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that the Cessna Skyhawk vanished from radar about four miles north of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport at around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The aircraft had taken off earlier from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Michael Calastro, who owns Apollo Flight Training, stated in a press conference on November 25 that there were no distress signals or calls to the tower, leaving uncertainty about who was piloting the plane.
The flight instructor has been identified as 30-year-old Taylor Dickey, who has been described as “very qualified” by Calastro. The other individual aboard was Lt. David Jahn, 30, a student pilot and soon-to-be father, as confirmed by a Navy spokesperson.
Search teams began a recovery effort just an hour after the crash, recovering seat cushions and other debris thought to be from the plane, according to the Coast Guard. This operation lasted almost two days and was officially called off on November 26. On November 28, the New Orleans Police Department announced that they had identified additional items linked to the crash.
The United Cajun Navy noted that specialized sonar, along with divers and search dogs, was deployed to locate more wreckage.
Calastro expressed his sorrow regarding the incident, stating, “It’s an unbelievable tragedy… I’ve been coaching for 46 years. I’ve never had anything like this happen. This is the first time. So I’m pretty devastated, as are the other employees here at Apollo Air and Million Air, because they were both very well-liked.”
He described the crash’s impact as “very violent.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have begun investigations into the crash.
In a statement released through the U.S. Navy, Jahn’s family shared, “David was a man of God and devoted to his family. His character will live on in his wife and the children they are expecting. He loved the gift of life and embraced living to the fullest with a love of exploration, adventure, and travel, always guided by Jesus and service to others and his country.”
