A young flight instructor and her student are presumed dead after crashing a small plane into a Louisiana last week, with authorities still trying to determine what went wrong.
Professional pilot Taylor Dickey, 30, took off from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in a Cessna Skyhawk with her student, 30-year-old Navy Lieutenant David Michael Jahn, on November 24 at 5.43pm.
The single-engine aircraft disappeared from radar about an hour later around 6.30pm, as it flew over Lake Pontchartrain roughly four miles north of New Orleans Lakefront Airport, according to the Coast Guard.
Michael Carastro, the owner of Apollo Flight Training where Dickey worked, said there was no distress call before the plane disappeared.
It is unclear who was at the controls at the time because pilots swap seats during training.
Carastro also said Dickey was 'highly qualified,' and that the Cessna was serviced every 100 hours of operation, meaning it was well-maintained and compliant with federal regulations.
Dickey was teaching Jahn instrument training in marginal weather conditions, which means the pair was flying under conditions at the edge of safety determined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Visual Flight Rules.
'In any flying over water, it presents additional challenges because you don't have clear horizons,' Carastro said at a press conference.
Professional pilot Taylor Dickey, 30, disappeared from radar in her Cessna Skyhawk on November 24 around 6.30pm
Navy Lieutenant David Michael Jahn, 30, was also in the plane when it disappeared
Dickey was teaching Jahn instrument training in marginal weather conditions, which means they were flying under conditions at the edge of safety
Dickey was described as 'highly qualified,' and the Cessna was serviced every 100 hours of operation, meaning it was well-maintained
'It was an unbelievable tragedy,' he added.
'I've been instructing for 46 years. I've never - never - had this. It's my first. So it's hitting me pretty hard, as well as the rest of the employees here at Apollo and Million Air, because both individuals were very well-liked. And so we're devastated.'
About one hour after the plane disappeared Monday evening, search teams spotted discoloration in the water. There, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries personnel recovered a seat cushion and other debris.
Carastro said the parts were 'pretty much unique to our particular plane.'
A combined search by air and on the water continued for two more days but was suspended on Wednesday.
On Friday, the United Cajun Navy announced that the search was back on after spending 'several days narrowing down key areas of interest.'
Boats using sonar, a K9 unit and a seaplane flying above were used in the search, which continued over the weekend despite challenging weather conditions.
On Saturday, the search crews found the site of the rest of the wreckage. They attributed their success in part to the K9 dog, Ensey, whose 'alerting helped guide teams directly to the location of the plane wreckage.'
The pair of pilots disappeared over Lake Pontchartrain, roughly four miles north of New Orleans Lakefront Airport
Boats using sonar, a K9 unit and a seaplane flying above were used in the search. Search crews attributed their success in part to this K9 dog, Ensey
On Saturday, search crews announced they found the site of the rest of the wreckage. The United Cajun Navy posted these pictures of debris on Facebook
The crews did not find either of the pilots. 'We will continue to do our best to help return the pilots home for the holidays,' the United Cajun Navy wrote on Facebook.
The search has been conducted by multiple agencies, including local parish officials, the New Orleans Police Department, US Customs and Border Protection, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and volunteers from the United Cajun Navy.
Dickey had been working as a flight instructor at Apollo Flight Training and Aircraft Management since June 2024. She had a strong Christian faith, according to her parents and friends, and she was a mentor and role model for women in aviation.
Dickey's friend and fellow pilot Alice Furr described her as 'passionate and dedicated' to nola.com.
She was a founding member and chapter president of the Bayou Beacons Chapter of Women in Aviation International.
She also volunteered with programs such as Let's Fly Now!, providing free flights to young women and girls exploring aviation careers.
Her father, Randy Dickey, who is also a pilot and was too grief-stricken to speak publicly, sent a text message to Carastro for him to share during a press conference.
'We know that God is good, even when we have to walk through the valley,' Randy said.
Dickey was described as 'passionate and dedicated' by a friend, and her parents said she had a strong Christian faith
Lieutenant Jahn had awards and decorations, including Navy and Marine Corps commendation and achievement medals, and a National Defense Service Medal.
The other victim of the crash, Lieutenant Jahn, was publicly identified by the Navy Sunday morning with permission from his family.
Jahn was a civil engineer corps officer serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 in Gulfport.
He had awards and decorations including Navy and Marine Corps commendation and achievement medals and a National Defense Service Medal.
Carastro said that Jahn was working toward his commercial pilot's license.
The young lieutenant's family shared a statement through Navy Expeditionary Combat Command that 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, with a love of exploring adventure and travel, always guided by Jesus and his service to others and his country.'