Melanie Georger, a 26-year-old pilot, tragically lost her life in a plane crash on Saturday shortly after a group of skydivers exited her aircraft. The incident occurred on the Niagara Scenic Parkway, approximately 15 miles from Niagara Falls.
Georger was piloting a single-engine Cessna when the crash happened as she attempted to land the plane. According to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, the aircraft came down off the parkway near Fort Niagara, where soccer games were taking place. “We’re fortunate where it landed, but it is an unfortunate incident,” County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said in an interview with WIVB.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash. Georger was employed by Skydive the Falls in Youngstown, New York. Jeffrey Walker, one of the skydivers who exited the plane about 30 minutes before the crash, described the conditions as “great weather, low winds, very calm winds,” and noted that everyone was in a good mood before the accident.
Walker expressed his disbelief at the crash, describing it as a “fluke accident” and reflecting on the eerie feeling of having been on the plane shortly before it went down. “It’s surreal that I was on that plane literally a half-hour before it crashed,” he told the TV station. Walker praised Georger as a skilled pilot and lamented the loss, emphasizing the high standards of the company where she worked.
Georger’s father, Paul Georger, shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, mourning the loss of his daughter. “My life as I know it ended today. My beloved daughter, my best friend, and one of the two lights of my life passed away suddenly today,” he wrote. Paul Georger spoke of his daughter’s dream to fly for the airlines and her passion for aviation. “Melanie was a pilot, on the cusp of realizing her dream to fly for the airlines. She was doing what she loved, flying for a local skydiving company when her plane crashed. She had discharged her passengers and was flying back to pick another load when she crashed. Kelli, Tim, and I are devastated. She was only 26.”
Sources By Agencies
