Two Young Eagles Took Ill-Fated Flight Because Their Pilot Was Late

Brittany Boatright, a 15-year old freshman at Seattle's Aviation High School "dreamed of flying and traveling the world" according to her mother. her 14-year old classmate, Kandyce Cowart, looked forward to a career in aviation. Those dreams were cut short Saturday when their Young Eagles flight crashed, also killing pilot Eugene Hokanson. But news reports from the Puget Sound say those girls weren't even supposed to be on what turned out to be a fatal flight.

Gail Boatright told Seattle's KOMO that the girls were supposed to be on a different orientation flight, but that the pilot was late. A good Samaritan to the end, Hokanson offered to fly the students himself on a round trip from Seattle's Boeing Field to Paine Field in Everett, WA.

As Aero-News reported Sunday, the aircraft apparently failed to gain altitude during a go-around maneuver at Paine Field. The Piper Cherokee 140 (file photo of type, below) crashed into a residential area near the airport.

A memorial fund for the two girls has been established. Donations can be made at any US Bank branch.

FMI: www.aviationhs.org