The aviation community along the Gulf Coast is in profound mourning following the tragic Cessna Skyhawk crash into Lake Pontchartrain on November 24, 2025, which claimed the life of 30-year-old flight instructor Taylor Dickey and her student.
Authorities identified Dickey, a contract pilot with Apollo Flight Training based in Gulfport, Mississippi, as one of the two aboard the four-seater aircraft. The incident, occurring about 4 miles north of New Orleans Lakefront Airport, has left colleagues, family, and aspiring aviators grappling with an unimaginable loss.
The Cessna 172N departed Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport around 5:50 p.m. for a routine training flight focused on approach maneuvers, with Dickey logging over 1,200 flight hours since joining Apollo in June 2024.
Radar contact was lost at approximately 6:23 p.m., with no distress call issued, prompting an immediate search by the U.S. Coast Guard. Debris, including a seat cushion and headrest, surfaced in the lake by 7:30 p.m., confirming the aircraft’s fate through distinctive markings.
Recovery efforts intensified Tuesday, November 25, with Coast Guard teams and volunteers locating additional wreckage amid challenging conditions, suspending the active search by afternoon.
The National Transportation Safety Board leads the investigation, examining maintenance records, weather factors, and who was at the controls, as instructors and students often alternate seats. Dickey’s family, originally from North Carolina and relocated to Biloxi, now faces the painful closure amid tributes to her passion for flight.
Taylor Dickey, born in North Carolina, pursued aviation with fervor after earning her commercial pilot certificate, channeling her love for exploration into instructing others from the skies. She balanced flight duties with a grounded lifestyle, often sharing aerial photos of coastal sunsets on social media, where her posts inspired a following of fellow pilots and students.
Professionally, Dickey excelled at Apollo since mid-2024, mentoring students nearing their commercial licenses with patient guidance and technical expertise. Colleagues praised her as highly qualified and safety-focused, ensuring the well-maintained Cessna complied with federal standards.
Dickey’s family anchored her world, where she cherished her parents’ support and siblings’ encouragement, often dedicating flights to family milestones like birthdays viewed from above. Though details of her personal life remain private, her warmth shone in quiet evenings with loved ones, blending Southern roots with the freedom of flight.
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