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A 26-year-old pilot 'on the cusp' of fulfilling her lifelong ambition of becoming an airline representative tragically passed away this weekend following a catastrophic plane crash.
According to a statement released by Niagara County Sheriff's Office, New York-born Melanie Georger had been driving a single-engine Cessna across an area of land close to the waterfall tourist hotspot just minutes before her tragic death.
On Saturday 20 July, she'd released a batch of skydivers before 'heading back to land', when the aircraft she was flying crashed on the Niagara Scenic Parkway, 15 miles from Niagara Falls.
The aspiring airline pilot - who'd been working for Youngstown adrenaline-seeking firm Skydive the Falls prior to her death - had been the only individual on-board the flight at the time of impact.
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Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti subsequently told WIVB: "Where it landed was just off the parkway. We look to the west near Fort Niagara, it’s full of soccer players today.
"We’re lucky where it landed, but it is an unfortunate incident."
One of the skydivers who'd jumped from Georger's aircraft just 30 minutes before it tragically crashed later told press that there was no inkling of a technical issue whilst they were onboard.
Jeffrey Walker also told the news outlet: "Everything was great. It was great weather, low winds, very calm winds.
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"Everybody was excited. Everybody was in a good mood."
The first-time skydiver added that though he 'didn't know what to expect' from the air-bound endeavour, Georger was both confident and encouraging towards those on board, and had even calmed his nerves prior to the jump.
"For some reason God left me on Earth and I’m just blessed to still be around," he continued.
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"It’s just an eerie feeling that I was on that plane literally a half-hour before it crashed. Why didn’t it crash with us on it?
"Why didn’t it crash with more people on it? It’s surreal."
Walker also said he gave the young pilot 'props for wanting to do what she was doing'.
“I really feel bad for the business and the company she was working for, because they’re a great company,” he added. “I thought they did a great job training.”
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Walker claims he can't fathom the fate that befell the young pilot.
"It’s not like skydiving planes once a week fall out of the sky and you just kind of dodge it," he said.
"This is a fluke accident. Something went wrong."
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The official cause of the fatal crash is pending investigation.
Georger's father, Paul, has since released a heartbreaking tribute in his daughter's honour, describing her as his 'beloved daughter, best friend and one of the two lights of my life'.
He added on Facebook: "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.
"She had discharged her passengers and was flying back to pick another load when she crashed. Kelli, Tim and I are devastated. She was only 26."
Paul continued: "My life is much darker today and will remain so for a long time.
"To my tweety pie, my girlie, my beloved and my heart, I’m already looking forward to the day that we reunite and I will have a huge hole in my heart and a never ending ache until then.
"Stars and butterflies, my love."
Rhianna Benson