The pilot killed in a Youngstown, NY plane crash on July 21st was identified on Saturday as 26-year-old Melanie Georger. Georger, who was born and raised in the Town of Tonawanda, attended Kenmore East and obtained a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University at Buffalo. Afterward, she started working to be a commercial pilot.
All that knew Melanie described her as a wonderful, caring and loving individual. Her father took to Facebook after the incident to share a statement:
“My beloved daughter, my best friend and one of the two lights of my life passed away suddenly today,” Paul Georger wrote. “Melanie was a pilot, on the cusp of realizing her dream to fly for the airlines. She was doing what she loved, flying for a local skydiving company, when her plane crashed.”
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office provided extensive details of the incident.
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 1140hrs, The Niagara County Sheriff's Communications Center began receiving 911 calls reporting a plane crash on the Niagara Scenic Parkway northeast of the Fort Niagara State Park in Lewiston. The crash was also reported to have started a brush fire around the crash site. Niagara County Sheriff's Deputies, NYS Troopers, Town of Lewiston Police and NYS Park Patrol responded to the scene.
The Youngstown Volunteer Fire Company was also on scene to extinguish the fires. The initial investigation revealed that an airplane from Skydive the Falls had released all divers and was heading back when it crashed. There was only one person on board at the time of the crash and was killed.
Notification was made to the Federal Aviation Administration and The National Transportation Safety Board, the scene will be secured until a complete investigation can be performed.
As of Sunday, the skydiving company 'Skydive the Falls' has not responded publicly to the incident. The Associated Press reported that "A person answering a phone number listed on the company’s website hung up." We will provide an update if this changes.
As investigations into the cause of the deadly plane crash continues, the community mourns the loss of a talented young pilot and reflects on the fragility of life. Our thoughts go out to Melanie's family, friends and loved ones.