Jacqueline Whitford, a 79-year-old renowned Arizona flight teacher, was one of three people killed in a small plane crash near Portland, Oregon.
The accident happened on August 31 while Whitford was on a maintenance test flight for a twin-engine Cessna 421C. She has a lifelong interest in aviation.
The jet, piloted by Michael Busher, 73 years old, went down in flames after crashing into a row of townhomes and powerlines. In addition to Whitford and Busher, 75-year-old Barbara MacDonald was killed at the site of the accident while she was inside her home.
Whitford’s passion for flying blossomed during her divorce, however, it started during her childhood. In 1990, she went ahead and took flying classes.
In 2003, she was honored with the FAA’s “Flight Instructor of the Year” award, among other accolades, for her rapid rise to the position of flight instructor. She became well-liked at Glendale’s Deer Valley Airport due to her knowledge and passion for flying.
The plane that Whitford had flown so much before it was grounded for a few years was something she was looking forward to helping Busher with, according to her daughter Michelle Whitford Raynes.
“I have pictures of her flying that airplane, always with a big smile,” her daughter reportedly stated.
A little over 17 miles east of Portland, at Troutdale Airport, the jet ran into control problems, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
A townhome complex two miles southwest of the airport was struck by the plane after pilot Busher said he had trouble controlling it. The plane then cut electricity lines. The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into what caused the incident, and their investigation can take up to 18 months.
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” Michelle Raynes, who is Whitford’s daughter, said with an expression of deep sorrow. I simply long for her presence. She went on to say that if her mom had known something was wrong, she would never have gotten on the plane.
Whitford was characterized by his buddy and fellow pilot Barry Caraway as an ardent aviation fanatic.
It’s tragic to lose any friend, but losing a buddy in your passion, especially one you’ve known for fourteen years and flown with multiple times is particularly devastating. It was shocking, he added. “She lived and breathed aviation.”
The flying community will always remember Whitford for her significant contributions to aviation, which were acknowledged by all. “Aviation, besides her family, was her life and she enjoyed every second of it,” Caraway pointed out.
Whitford was a lively person whose life was defined by her passion of flying and devotion to educating others; her loved ones remember her as the NTSB continues its inquiry.
