PICTURED: Student pilot, flight school owner and instructor killed in horrific Massachusetts plane crash - as eerie drone footage shows wreckage in a remote woodland
Three people who were killed when the plane they were flying in crashed in western Massachusetts on Sunday were part of a local flight schoolVictims were William Hampton, 68, of Indian Orchard, Mass.; Chad Davidson, 29, of Woodstock, Connecticut; and Frederika Ballard, 53, of Southwick, Mass.Ballard was the owner of the Fly Lugu Flight School in Westfield, Massachusetts while Hampton was a flight instructor; Davidson was his student pilot
The owner of a flight school and a student pilot were among three people who died in a small plane crash in a remote, wooded area of Massachusetts over the weekend, state police said on Monday.
Fredrika Ballard, 53, of Southwick, Massachusetts, owned the Fly Lugu Flight School while William Hampton, 68, of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, was a flight instructor.
Chad Davidson, 29, of Woodstock, Connecticut, was a student pilot on the flight that crashed Sunday. They were the only occupants.
‘I lost my beautiful sister-in-law unexpectedly doing what she loved, flying for her company,’ wrote Ballard’s sister-in-law Betsy Ballard.
Fredrika Ballard, 53, of Southwick, Massachusetts, owned the Fly Lugu Flight School and was killed in Sunday’s crash
William Hampton, 68, of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, was a flight instructor at the school
Chad Davidson, 29, of Woodstock, Connecticut, was a student pilot who also lost his life
‘She was the most warm, caring, kind, brilliant, patient, thoughtful, generous and loving person I have ever known. We are all still in shock. We all will love you forever. Fly high beautiful.’
‘Heaven received three angles yesterday who already had their wings,’ wrote photographer Jeff Byrnes in tribute.
‘My heart hurts at the loss of our friends and fellow pilots Fredrika Hamann Ballard and Bill Hampton. Rika was a pioneer in the aviation community. Bill was a storied pilot whom I recently connected with over our love of helicopters. Our love for aviation and passion for building our businesses was just a touch of what bonded Rika and I shared.’
‘The world and the aviation community lost a few amazing people this past weekend, I’m not even sure how to put what I want to say in words. Im honored to have met and flown with both of them. Fredrika Hamann Ballard and Bill Hampton: I will never forget everything you taught me and the time we shared soaring thru the skies together!’ wrote former flight school student Alex Bloom.
‘She was the most warm, caring, kind, brilliant, patient, thoughtful, generous and loving person I have ever known. We are all still in shock. We all will love you forever. Fly high beautiful,’ wrote Frederika Ballard’s sister-in-law in tribute
Ballard started her Flight School Fly LUGU just before COVID hit and was forced to suspend flight training by the state of Massachusetts for a few months
Hampton was said to be ‘a storied pilot with a love of helicopters’
Davidson worked in the administration of another aviation company and was learning to fly
Tributes came flooding in both from former students of the flying school and family members
‘We lost two of the greatest mentors in the aviation industry today. Fredrika Hamann Ballard and Bill Hampton aka the GOAT. I am forever grateful to have known both of these incredible individuals. Fly high,’ posted another former student flyer, Jamie Glynn.
‘I knew Rika personally. She was a great person & very enthusiastic about aviation. She started her Flight School Fly LUGU just before COVID hit & was forced to suspend flight training by the state of MA for a few months. When she reopened she turned it into the great flight school that it is today. Rika & Bill will be greatly missed,’ wrote another friend of the pair.
No one could be reached at Fly Lugu for comment.
The twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 55, which took off from Barnes Airport in Westfield at approximately 11:06am on Sunday crashed near Leyden, Massachusetts.
Fire crews are seen rushing to the scene of the accident on Sunday
Three people on board a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 55 died in a crash near Greenfield, Massachusetts around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. A generic Beechcraft Baron 55 pictured
Authorities began searching the crash site in Leyden Wildlife Management Area near Greenfield around 11:30am after several dog walkers reported seeing the plane crash.
The aircraft was found in a small clearing in the woods on the side of a wooded mountain within the Leyden Wildlife Management Area around 12:33pm.
All three occupants were found dead inside the plane by the Greenfield Firefighters and American Medical Response paramedics.
Federal Aviation Administration Aviation inspectors responded to the crash site Sunday and a National Transportation Safety Board investigator was sent to the site on Monday.
‘The aircraft will be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation. NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment,’ said the NTSB.
State police said the crash remains under investigation.
The NTSB said it would not speculate about the cause of the crash noting how any probable cause along with any contributing factors would be detailed in the agency’s final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.
According to Aircraft Cost Calculator, the average price for a pre-owned Beechcraft Baron 55 is $105,500.
The Beechcraft Baron 55 was manufactured from 1964 to 1982, requires a one person crew to operate and can transport up to five passengers.