Melanie Georger dies in fatal Niagara County skydiving plane crash
Fatal Niagara County skydiving plane crash death of Melanie Georger – Obituary
On Sunday, officials released the identity of the pilot who tragically lost her life in a skydiving flight accident near Niagara Falls.
Melanie Georger, aged 26, was the sole occupant of the single-engine Cessna that crashed on Saturday, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. Georger, from Towanda, New York, was in the process of becoming a commercial pilot, as noted by her father in a Facebook post.
Paul Georger expressed his grief online, stating, “My cherished daughter, my closest friend, and one of my two guiding lights, passed away unexpectedly today.” He added, “Melanie was a pilot, on the brink of fulfilling her dream of flying for an airline.
She was engaged in her passion, working for a local skydiving company, when her plane went down.”
The skydiving company, Skydive the Falls, which was identified by the Sheriff’s Office, chose not to comment. They offer a scenic flight over Niagara Falls prior to each jump.
Jeffrey Walker, one of the skydivers who flew with Georger before the crash, expressed his relief at surviving and mourned the loss of Georger’s life.
“Why did this happen after my flight? Why not when we were all on the plane?” Walker said, describing the situation as “surreal.”
Walker noted that he wasn’t troubled by the pilot’s age, remembering that Georger had personally checked in with him and offered supportive words about his tandem partner, which had boosted his confidence.
“She was dedicated to what she was doing,” Walker remarked. “I truly feel for the company and the business she was part of because they are excellent at what they do. I thought they provided outstanding training.”
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the crashed aircraft was a single-engine Cessna 208B. The incident occurred near a road in Youngstown, about 15 miles from Niagara Falls. The National Transportation Safety Board is taking charge of the investigation into the accident.
Fatal Niagara County skydiving plane crash death of Melanie Georger – Obituary On Sunday, officials released the identity of the pilot who tragically lost her life in a skydiving flight accident near Niagara Falls. Melanie Georger, aged 26, was the sole occupant of the single-engine Cessna that crashed on Saturday, according to the Niagara County…
Fatal Niagara County skydiving plane crash death of Melanie Georger – Obituary On Sunday, officials released the identity of the pilot who tragically lost her life in a skydiving flight accident near Niagara Falls. Melanie Georger, aged 26, was the sole occupant of the single-engine Cessna that crashed on Saturday, according to the Niagara County…