Man Recounts Harrowing Experience of Skydiving 30 Minutes Before Deadly Plane Crash

Jeffrey Walker, a first-time skydiver from Western New York, narrowly escaped tragedy when he decided to go skydiving on Saturday, July 20th. He jumped out of the plane 30 minutes before it crashed. In an interview with Trina Catterson at WIVB News 4 Buffalo, he recounted his experience and expressed gratitude for being alive.

Walker woke up feeling surprisingly calm on Saturday morning and arrived at Skydive the Falls, a popular skydiving center in Youngstown, at around 9:20am. Known for its unique offering of a scenic flight over Niagara Falls before every jump, Skydive the Falls has been operating since June 2019.

Jeffrey Walker

"The weather was great, with low winds and a very calm atmosphere. Everyone was excited and in a good mood," Walker shared. "I didn't know what to expect, but I never got nervous."

Shockingly, just half an hour after Walker's exhilarating skydiving experience tragedy struck. The plane that followed his crashed, resulting in the death of a female pilot.

Reflecting on his close call, Walker expressed his gratitude for being alive. "For some reason, God left me on Earth, and I'm just blessed to still be around," he said.

The realization that he was on the same plane just half an hour before the crash left him with an eerie feeling.

"Why didn't it crash with us on it? Why didn't it crash with more people on it? It's surreal," he pondered.

The pilot killed was identified 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.

Melanie Georger

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 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.