Jesse R. Goodwin, 43, and Ataberk Besler, 16, killed in small plane crash at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona

Modified Date: 
Sun, 04/14/2019 - 9:21am
Accident Date: 
Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Plane crashes at Mesa Falcon Field, 2 dead

A single-engine AT-6 crashed and burned during take-off at Falcon Field, according to Ian Gregor, a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Two Killed as Small Plane Crashes on Takeoff in Mesa, Arizona

The specific model of the AT-6 wasn't immediately clear. The name has been used for a variety of small military training and attack planes since the mid-20th century, and World War II-era AT-6s are popular in aeronautics shows.

Two people are dead after a small World War II-era plane crashed and exploded into flames near a Phoenix-area airport Tuesday evening

It appears the nose section housing the propeller broke away from the body of the aircraft and was laying a few feet away. A portion of the wreckage was covered with a tarp.

2 killed in Falcon Field crash identified; 1 was foreign-exchange student from Turkey

The pilot was identified Wednesday afternoon as Jesse R. Goodwin, 43. His 16-year-old passenger was Ataberk Besler, an exchange student  in the AFS-USA program from Cannakkale, Turkey.

Letter: There's more to teen killed in crash

Ataberk Besler was a foreign exchange student from a Muslim Turkish family, nearing the end of his 11-month program in the U.S. He was sponsored through AFS-USA, an organization formed to foster peace, understanding and intercultural awareness.

People Involved: 
Jesse R. Goodwin
Ataberk Besler
City: 
Mesa, AZ

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