‘An eerie feeling’: Man skydived from plane 30 minutes before it crashed, killing pilot

Jeffrey Walker, a man from Elma, New York, feels “blessed to still be around” after skydiving from a plane 30 minutes before it crashed, killing the pilot. On Saturday morning, Walker had his first skydiving experience at Skydive the Falls in Youngstown, near Niagara Falls. He described the day as calm and pleasant, with everyone in good spirits.

However, the subsequent flight crashed, killing the 26-year-old pilot, Melanie Georger. The crash occurred around 11:40 a.m. near Fort Niagara on the Niagara Scenic Parkway, narrowly avoiding a more catastrophic incident by crashing just off the parkway.

All skydivers had exited the plane before the crash, which also ignited a small brush fire, quickly extinguished by the Youngstown Volunteer Fire Company. Despite the tragedy, Walker stated he wouldn’t be deterred from skydiving again, viewing the crash as a rare accident. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. Walker reflected on the surreal experience, expressing gratitude for his safety and acknowledging the eerie feeling of having been on the same plane shortly before the crash.

Source: Rochester First