Vaughn Porter, a JetBlue pilot with over 30 years of experience in flying, piloted the plane.
A man in the United States died in a plane crash with his girlfriend, decades after his father died in a similar incident. According to PEOPLE, the incident took place in northern California last week. Authorities said that the small Beechcraft A-36 airplane crashed and caught fire shortly after it departed from Round Valley in Covelo. Following the incident, once the fire was contained, the deputies "located the bodies of two deceased individuals," identified as Vaughn Porter and his girlfriend Jaime Redford Rust.
According to the outlet, Vaughn Porter, a JetBlue pilot with over 30 years of experience in flying, piloted the plane. His family said that are "devasted" by the death of their father, who began dating Ms Rust following their mother's COVID-19 death in January 2022. "I feel like we're all mourning her loss just as much as my dad," Mr Porter's son said, adding, "We cared about her a lot. She cared about us a lot."
The family further shared that in the 90s, Mr Porter's father also died in a similar plane crash. "He crashed it into a side of a mountain, and my dad to pay tribute to his father bought the same type of plane," Mr Porter's son said. "That's the plane he crashed in as well," he added.
Mr Porter's family has now established a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Mr Porter's funeral as well as transport him from California to Utah. "After losing our mom unexpectedly last year our dad stepped up admirably to fill the gaping hole left in our family without her. Despite this incomprehensible tragedy, he remained positive, always seeking ways to bring joy and togetherness to our lives. He was the heart of our family, and we're now at a complete loss without him," the page read.
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Separately, Ms Rust's family has also set up a GoFundMe page. "We are deeply saddened to share the devastating news of Jaime's untimely passing in a tragic plane crash alongside her boyfriend. As her family grieves this unimaginable loss, they are faced with the overwhelming burden of funeral expenses...Let's come together to honor Jaime's memory and help her children through this challenging time," the page read.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has now launched an investigation into the incident. Officials said that they will gather information and records, including recordings of any air traffic control communications, weather reports, pilot background, witness statements, aircraft maintenance records, and the pilot's license.