News & Current Events
Pilot’s Haunting Last Words Before Fatal Crash That Took The Lives Of Father And Three Sons
Just before his little plane crashed off the coast of California, killing the pilot, his pregnant wife, and a father from Arizona who was travelling with his three grown sons, the pilot cried out “mayday!” several times.
As he and his wife Torrie plunged down over the Pacific Ocean on Sunday afternoon, right off the coast of San Diego, Landon Baldwin let out the agonised wail.
The little Cessna crashed into the lake, killing George ‘Jeremy’ Bingham, 48, and his sons, George ‘Bailey,’ 26, Gavin, 24, and Ayden, 20.
According to a GoFundMe for the distraught family, all six passengers died in the tragic incident that happened only three miles from the coast.
“This devastating loss has left behind a heartbroken family,” the fundraiser, organized by Hope Lofgreen, said.
The aircraft went down on Sunday shortly after taking off from San Diego International Airport at around 12.30 p.m.
“I’ve been ‘just struggling’ to fly to a higher altitude,” the pilot told air traffic control.
“Are you doing OK there? Do you need assistance,” the controller asked, The Mercury News reported.
The jet was only 1,000 feet in the air when the pilot said, “Affirm.”
“Four Bravo Alpha, what seems to be the issue?”
“Ah, just struggling right now at the present to maintain [unclear] the setting.”
The pilot continued traveling at too low an altitude and was told to land at Naval Air Station North Island nearby before the pilot urgently responded, “Mayday, mayday, mayday, mayday!” according to the outlet.
Shortly later, the twin-engine plane that was headed to Phoenix crashed into the water, leaving no survivors.
Ayden’s fiancée Camille, Bailey’s wife Ashlyn, and their 9-month-old baby Carter were among the young men who left behind the beginnings of their lives.
Stephanie, a nurse at Mt. Graham Regional Medical Centre, Jeremy’s wife and the boys’ mother, as well as their youngest daughter Kadie, a recent high school graduate, survive him.
The fundraiser described the loving father as a “pillar of strength in both his family and community.”
“He was selfless, hardworking, and endlessly generous,” Lofgreen wrote. “Someone who would drop everything to help anyone in need.”
Jeremy worked as a “dedicated” UPS truck driver, according to his obituary, and “navigated life with a smile that could light up the darkest of days.”
“He had an innate ability to connect with others, always sharing positivity and warmth, making anyone feel at ease in his presence,” it said. “Jeremy always searched out ways to give back to the people of the community he loved but always put his family first.”
His eldest son, Bailey, was a “loving new father, excited to celebrate his first Father’s Day,” the fundraiser said.
“He had a calm, patient soul with the biggest heart, he was always putting family and friends first,” it added.
Bailey’s obituary said he was “strong-willed and dependable, he was also renowned for his silly and loud personality, filling the lives of those around him with unbridled happiness.”
Gavin was “deeply driven and independent, yet incredibly soft hearted. He made everyone feel loved and seen.”
“Those who knew him often spoke of his ability to love deeply, protect fiercely, and approach every situation with a unique blunt and sarcastic sense of humor that could brighten even the cloudiest of days,” his obituary said.
Their youngest son, Ayden, “lit up every room with his energy,” according to the fundraiser.
“He was the life of the party whose positivity and laughter were contagious as he approached life with dedication and passion.”
The young man was “one characterised by loyalty, protectiveness, and a spirited enthusiasm that radiated from him,” according to Ayden’s obituary.
“His unusual spunky personality made him stand out; he was very organized and able to anticipate the needs of others, demonstrating a maturity beyond years.”
A friend wrote on Facebook that “the world just lost some of the best men,” and that their deaths “left a hole too big to ever fill.”
The pilot was identified as Landon Baldwin, who was accompanied by his spouse, Torrie.
According to a GoFundMe established to support them as they grow up, Landon and Torrie leave behind their two young children.
“Their lives were centered around their growing family,” the fundraiser said. “Everything they did, every dream, every plan, was for their kids.”
“Their loss is unimaginable, especially for the little ones left behind who now face a future without the love and presence of their incredible parents.”
“The heart of every gathering, always showing up for others and finding ways to make people feel seen, heard, and loved,” was how one person characterised Torrie.
She coached a local high school tennis team for a while because her presence was deemed “truly irreplaceable.”
Her husband and the pilot of the plane, Landon, was said to be “the kind of friend who always made time, no matter how busy life got.”
“He worked hard, dreamed big, and believed in lifting others along the way. Whether you knew him as a father, a husband, a colleague, or a friend, you knew him to be someone dependable, generous and full of quiet strength.”
According to documents the Mercury News was able to collect, the aircraft belonged to an Arizona-based company that sold nutritional supplements.
A spokesperson for the company told the outlet that the plane had been sold two years ago to “a private group of individuals.”
“We personally knew several of the passengers onboard and our sincerest condolences are offered to those affected by the tragedy, all of whom are incredible members of our small community,” a statement from Optimal Health said, the outlet reported.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones.”
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