California high school athlete and dad are killed after small aircraft crashes into warehouse
A multi-sport high school athlete and her father were killed after a small “homebuilt” plane crashed into a warehouse in California.
Kelly Reid, 16, and her father Pascal Reid were aboard the Van’s RV-10 plane that crashed into the roof of the Michael Nicholas Design Factory in Fullerton on Thursday.
The horrific incident not only killed Kelly and Pascal, but also injured 19 employees in the warehouse.
Kelly was a junior in high school who played varsity flag football, soccer and lacrosse. Her father was an experimental aircraft builder and a U.S. Army aviation veteran, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The young athlete’s teachers, coaches and classmates at Huntington Beach High School have gathered to mourn her and the death of her father.
“Rest in peace dear Kelly,” the school’s football team wrote in a tribute on Instagram. “Yesterday our football family suffered an unimaginable loss. Kelly Reid and her father Pascal tragically died in a plane crash.
‘Kelly was an amazing girl… genuine and kind with so much passion for life. Kelly was a beloved member of the varsity team and wore number 6. The number 6 symbolizes love, creating harmony and caring for others.”
Kelly Reid, 16, died after the experimental plane she and her father were flying crashed into a warehouse on Thursday
Pascal Reid was an experimental aircraft builder and a U.S. Army aviation veteran, according to his LinkedIn profile
Kelly and Pascal Reid were aboard the Van’s RV-10 plane that collided with the roof of the Michael Nicholas Design Factory in Fullerton on Thursday
She was described as a caring and kind person. Pascal is said to have attended every football match and been ‘so proud’ of his daughter.
The girl’s flag football team also released a statement about Kelly, calling her a “loving teammate, friend and a truly remarkable person.”
‘She will be greatly missed, but never forgotten. Rest in peace Kelly, you will always be in our hearts,” the message read.
Kelly’s lacrosse coach also shared a heartfelt post about her and the time she spent doing it.
The coach wrote on the team’s Instagram page, “In her short time with the lacrosse program, she made an immediate impact on and off the field. The healthy competitor that she was, she enjoyed practicing the game and making it her own.
“She also immediately felt drawn to helping her teammates learn alongside her. She truly enjoyed helping everyone get the best out of themselves.
Kelly’s sports teams posted heartbreaking messages about her on social media
“As a coach, I think we all want to build a culture around players like Kelly. She brought the perfect combination of fun and focus and was a great teammate.”
Kelly’s football coach Raul Ruiz told the Daily pilot that she never went home from practice without fist bumping her coaches and teammates.
He told the outlet, “You always wanted to have someone like that on your team. She played an important role in our team plan and made a huge contribution on the field. But her personality was contagious, and that’s what hurts.”
On Friday, Kelly’s tearful loved ones gathered at First Christian Church in Huntington Beach to honor her and her father’s lives.
Thursday’s horror crash occurred around 2:15 p.m. when the single-engine plane crashed just minutes after taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport.
According to the Daily Pilot, the plane reached an altitude of about 1,000 feet before attempting to turn around and make an emergency landing.
Kelly Reid (center) was a renowned athlete at her high school
Kelly’s friends gathered Friday at First Christian Church in Huntington Beach to honor her and her father’s lives
Kelly was described as a friendly, helpful and talented athlete with an excellent attitude
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Eliott Simpson said at a news conference: “The aircraft appeared to make a 180-degree turn to the left… and ultimately crashed approximately 1,000 feet short of the runway.”
After the collision, the warehouse went up in flames. More than a hundred people had to be evacuated from inside.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the crash to better understand what caused the plane to crash.