Female Pilot and Flight Student Presumed Dead After Plane Crashes into Lake

A flight instructor and her student are presumed dead after their small plane went down over Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana.

Taylor Dickey, 30, and an adult student took off from Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport on Monday, Nov. 24. About an hour later, the single-engine aircraft disappeared while flying over the lake, according to the Coast Guard.

Wreckage from the missing plane was later located through “specialized sonar, dive operations and K9 search,” the United Cajun Navy, a local nonprofit assisting in the search, shared on Facebook on Nov. 30.

In a press conference the day after the crash, Michael Carastro, the owner of the flight school that owned the plane, confirmed that both Dickey and her student are “presumed dead.”

“Nobody knows what happened at this point. The preliminary data indicates it was not mechanical, so we’re waiting on the official agencies investigating,” Carastro said.

Carastro described the tragedy as unprecedented in his 46-year career as a flight instructor. “I’ve never—never—had this. It’s hitting me pretty hard, as well as the rest of the employees here at Apollo and Million Air. Both individuals were very well-liked. We’re devastated.”

He noted that Dickey, who had been flying for roughly 1,200 to 1,300 hours, was highly qualified and only about 200 hours shy of meeting her requirements for an airline career—the ultimate goal for both her and her student. He also confirmed that no distress call was received from the plane.

Dickey’s father is also a pilot, and her family remains “in shock,” Carastro said.

In honor of her contributions to the aviation community, a Change.org petition has been launched requesting that Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport be renamed “Taylor Dickey Field.” The petition highlights her impact, stating, “Through her instructional role and her community advocacy, Taylor became a well-known figure at the airport and among flight training stakeholders in the Gulf Coast region. Her loss has deeply affected students, colleagues, airfield personnel, and aviation partners. Designating the airfield as ‘Taylor Dickey Field’ would stand as a lasting testament to her contributions and her embodiment of the spirit of aviation.”

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.