Melanie Georger dies in fatal Youngstown skydiving plane crash
Fatal Youngstown skydiving plane crash death of Melanie Georger – Obituary
Authorities revealed on Sunday that Melanie Georger, a 26-year-old pilot, tragically perished when her plane went down after skydivers had leaped from the aircraft near Niagara Falls. The incident occurred on Saturday, according to a statement from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. Georger, who hailed from Towanda, New York, was in the process of pursuing her commercial pilot’s license, as detailed by her father on Facebook.
Paul Georger expressed his grief with, “My beloved daughter, my best friend, and one of the two lights of my life has left us suddenly today.” He added, “Melanie was a pilot on the verge of achieving her dream of working for the airlines. She was flying for a local skydiving company when the crash occurred.”
The skydiving company, known as Skydive the Falls, has not yet responded to requests for comment from email and social media inquiries. A call to the company’s listed number was abruptly ended. The company is known for offering a scenic tour of Niagara Falls as part of their skydiving experience.
Jeffrey Walker, one of the skydivers who jumped shortly before the crash, shared his astonishment with Buffalo TV station WIBV. “I was on that plane just 30 minutes before it crashed. It’s surreal to think that it didn’t crash with us on board,” Walker said. Despite the accident, Walker indicated he would not be deterred from skydiving in the future, describing it as a rare mishap.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the downed aircraft was a single-engine Cessna 208B. The crash occurred near a road in Youngstown, less than 15 miles from Niagara Falls. The National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the investigation into the cause of the crash.
Fatal Youngstown skydiving plane crash death of Melanie Georger – Obituary Authorities revealed on Sunday that Melanie Georger, a 26-year-old pilot, tragically perished when her plane went down after skydivers had leaped from the aircraft near Niagara Falls. The incident occurred on Saturday, according to a statement from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. Georger, who…
Fatal Youngstown skydiving plane crash death of Melanie Georger – Obituary Authorities revealed on Sunday that Melanie Georger, a 26-year-old pilot, tragically perished when her plane went down after skydivers had leaped from the aircraft near Niagara Falls. The incident occurred on Saturday, according to a statement from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. Georger, who…