An MIT scientist training to become a flight instructor died when his plane crashed in Massachusetts — just months before he was to become a dad for the first time, according to his family.
Geoffrey Andrews, 30, was taking off from Beverly Regional Airport when the four-seater, fixed-wing plane crashed Thursday morning, WBZ news reported.
Witnesses at the airport reported seeing a puff of smoke before the plane plummeted to the ground, the NTSB told the outlet.
The smoke may have been an indication of engine failure and “a gradual left-hand descending turn,” the NTSB said.
Andrews was a staff scientist for MIT Lincoln Laboratory and was expecting his first child with his wife, Gentry Andrews, according to a GoFundMe organized for the budding family.
“Beyond his love for flight, Geoffrey was a charismatic, beautiful soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and always had a kind word for others. He was so excited about the upcoming birth of their baby,” the statement said.
The couple’s baby is due in October.
The mother-to-be had recently suffered another incredible tragedy — losing her mother, Marcia — according to the statement.
Andrews had several years of piloting experience, was a visiting lecturer at Lehigh University, and a doctoral graduate at Purdue University, the family said.
He “volunteered as a glider pilot” and was working to become a Certified Flight Instructor to teach others how to fly, according to the statement.
“He was almost always seen sporting a bow tie and a smile. He loved cooking, baking, nature, was a talented amateur photographer, and was oddly passionate about scuba diving. He loved music, often played piano, and sang in choirs for much of his life, including with Gentry,” the statement said.
A fundraiser for Gentry and their baby-to-be has raised over $50,000 of its $60,000 goal.
Andrews was enjoying his “last camping trip that he would have for some time with our baby girl due soon,” Gentry Andrews wrote in an Instagram post.
Gentry Andrews said her husband’s response to engine trouble was “textbook,” but the plane still went down, and he “died on impact,” according to the post.
One other unidentified person was critically injured in the crash, WBZ news reported.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Office of the District Attorney, according to WCVB.
“We thank the investigators who we trust will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused this catastrophic loss of life,” Andrew’s family said in the statement.