A flight instructor and a United States Navy officer are now presumed dead after the small aircraft they were in crashed into a lake near New Orleans. The tragic incident has left the aviation community in mourning and an investigation is underway.
The Fatal Flight and Disappearance
Taylor Dickey, 30, a certified flight instructor, and her student, 30-year-old US Navy Lieutenant David Michael Jahn, took off from the Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport last Monday. They were flying a Cessna Skyhawk aircraft. According to the US Coast Guard, the plane vanished from flight radar around 6:30 p.m., approximately four miles north of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport.
Michael Carastro, the owner of the flight school that operated the plane, stated that no distress call was received from the aircraft. It remains unclear who was piloting the plane at the moment it crashed into Lake Pontchartrain. Carastro described the impact as "very, very violent."
Search Efforts and Recovery of Debris
Search teams were quickly mobilized following the disappearance. Within an hour, personnel from Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries observed discoloration in the water. They recovered a seat cushion and other debris confirmed to be from the aircraft.
The extensive search operation, which included the Coast Guard, continued for nearly two days before being suspended on Wednesday afternoon. The local nonprofit United Cajun Navy later reported that more wreckage was located using specialized sonar, dive teams, and a K-9 search. These findings have been handed over to the proper authorities for investigation.
Remembering the Victims
Both individuals onboard have been presumed dead. Taylor Dickey was described as a "highly qualified" and dedicated instructor. She served as the President of the Bayou Beacons, the local chapter of Women in Aviation International, and was a strong advocate for encouraging women to pursue careers in flight.
David Michael Jahn was a civil engineer corps officer serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 in Gulfport. He was in training for his commercial pilot's license and was close to completing the required 250 flight hours. Tragically, he was also expecting a child with his wife.
In a statement released through the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, his family said, "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."
Carastro, the flight school owner with 46 years of experience, expressed his devastation, calling it an "unbelievable tragedy" and his first such incident.
Legacy and Investigation
In the wake of the crash, a petition has been launched on Change.org to rename the Gulfport-Biloxi Airport Authority to "Taylor Dickey Field" in honor of her life and contributions to aviation.
While the investigation is still in its early stages, preliminary information suggests the crash was not due to a mechanical failure with the well-maintained aircraft. Authorities are continuing their work to determine the exact cause of the accident.
