A flight school owner and a student pilot were among three people killed when a small plane crashed in a remote Massachusetts forest.
Fredrika Ballard, 53, of Southwick, Mass., owned the Fly Lugu Flight School, while William Hampton, 68, of Indian Orchard, Mass., was a flight instructor.
Chad Davidson, 29, of Woodstock, Connecticut, was a student pilot on the flight that crashed Sunday.
“I lost my beautiful sister-in-law unexpectedly while doing what she loved: flying for her company,” wrote Ballard’s sister-in-law Betsy Ballard.
Fredrika Ballard, 53, of Southwick, Massachusetts, owner of Fly Lugu Flight School and was killed in Sunday’s crash
William Hampton, 68, of Indian Orchard, Mass., was a flight instructor at the school
Chad Davidson, 29, of Woodstock, Connecticut, was a student pilot who also died
‘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 will all love you forever. Fly high beautiful.”
“Heaven received three corners yesterday that had all their wings,” photographer Jeff Byrnes wrote in tribute.
“My heart aches 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 legendary pilot who I recently connected with over our love of helicopters. Our love for aviation and passion for building our businesses were just a small part of what Rika and I shared.”
“The world and the aviation community lost some great people this past weekend, I don’t even know how to say what I want to say. I am 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 spent floating through the air 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 will all love you forever. Fly high,’ Frederika Ballard’s sister-in-law wrote in tribute
Ballard started her Flight School Fly LUGU just before COVID hit and was forced by the state of Massachusetts to suspend flight training for a few months
Hampton is said to be ‘a legendary pilot with a penchant for helicopters’
Davidson worked in administration at another aviation company and learned to fly
Tributes poured in, both from former flying school students and family members
“Today we have lost two of the greatest mentors in the aviation industry. 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 wonderful person and very enthusiastic about aviation. She started her Flight School Fly LUGU just before COVID hit and was forced by the state of MA to suspend flight training for a few months. When she reopened, she turned it into the great flying school it is today. Rika and Bill will be deeply missed,” another friend of the couple wrote.
No one at Fly Lugu was available for comment.
The twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 55, which took off from Barnes Airport in Westfield at about 11:06 a.m. Sunday, crashed near Leyden, Massachusetts.
The fire brigade rushed to the scene of the accident on Sunday
Three people aboard a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 55 were killed in a crash near Greenfield, Massachusetts, around 12:30 a.m. Sunday. A generic Beechcraft Baron 55 pictured
Authorities began searching the crash site in the Leyden Wildlife Management Area near Greenfield around 11:30 a.m. after several dog walkers reported seeing the plane crash.
The aircraft was found around 12.33pm in a small clearing in the woods on the side of a forested mountain in the Leyden Wildlife Management Area.
All three occupants were found dead inside the aircraft by Greenfield Firefighters and American Medical Response paramedics.
Aviation inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the crash site on Sunday, and a National Transportation Safety Board investigator was dispatched to the site on Monday.
“The aircraft will be recovered at a secure location for further evaluation. NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operational environment,” the NTSB said.
State police said the accident remains under investigation.
The NTSB said it would not speculate on the cause of the crash and noted that each probable cause along with any contributing factors would be detailed in the agency’s final report, expected in 12 to 24 months.
According to Airplane cost calculatorthe average price for a used Beechcraft Baron 55 is $105,500.
The Beechcraft Baron 55 was manufactured from 1964 to 1982, requires a crew of one and can carry up to five passengers.