Father-to-be Navy officer vanishes with pilot instructor after plane drops off radar

A formation teacher and her student, a U.S. Navy serviceman who was besides a father-to-be, are presumed dormant aft their tiny level plunged into a New Orleans lake, according to authorities and section reports.

Instructor Taylor Dickey and her student, Navy Lt. David Michael Jahn, took disconnected successful a Cessna 172 Skyhawk past Monday, but the craft disappeared from formation radar implicit Lake Pontchartrain, astir 4 miles northbound of New Orleans Lakefront Airport, according to the United Cajun Navy. Local media WWLTV reported that the 30-year-olds departed from Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport, astir 70 miles northeast of wherever they went missing. 

Jahn, a Civil Engineer Corps serviceman with the Navy Seabees based successful Gulfport, Mississippi, was joined to his wife, Taylor, who is 5 months pregnant, the United Cajun Navy told Fox News Digital connected Sunday. He was nearing his commercialized pilot’s licence with conscionable nether 250 formation hours, according to the formation school.

The United Cajun Navy added that the aviator teacher "was known for her beardown faith, her emotion of flying, and her committedness to mentoring different women successful aviation."

FAMILY MATRIARCH DIES DAY AFTER RESCUE FROM REMOTE ISLAND THAT SAW FAMILY SWIM ASHORE TO ESCAPE BOAT FIRE

David Michael Jahn has been presumed dormant aft the level helium was connected disappeared from radar connected Nov. 24, 2025. (Facebook/ David Michael Jahn)

While the United Cajun Navy is inactive continuing its hunt effort, arguing that "families merit closure," the Coast Guard said its bureau suspended operations Wednesday day aft crews searched by aerial and h2o for astir 45 hours, covering much than 770 quadrate miles.

"Our hearts spell retired to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic situation," Cmdr. Michael Wurster, the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans hunt and rescue ngo coordinator, said successful a statement. "Suspending a hunt is 1 of the astir hard decisions we make, and it is done lone aft each effort has been made to find those involved."

COAST GUARD SWOOPS IN TO SAVE STRANDED SAILORS FROM SINKING BOAT HUNDREDS OF MILES OFF COAST

Instructor Taylor Dickey has been presumed dormant aft her level disappeared from radar connected Nov. 24, 2025. (Facebook /Taylor Dickey)

Michael Carastro, the proprietor of formation schoolhouse Apollo Aviation that owned the plane, said during a property league connected Tuesday that nary distress telephone was made, but the level apt disintegrated connected interaction successful a "very, precise violent" manner.

He described the challenges of flying implicit h2o astatine night, particularly successful "marginal" weather, contiguous a batch of challenges to the pilot. 

Navy Lt. David Michael Jahn was joined to his wife, Taylor, who is 5 months pregnant, erstwhile helium disappeared connected Nov. 24, 2025. (Facebook/ David Michael Jahn)

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The United Cajun Navy said Saturday that wreckage from the missing craft — including a spot cushion and headrest from a tiny level — was yet found. The radical said it utilized boats, sonar teams, aerial enactment and K9 units amid harsh weather.

He expressed profound grief and noted that this was the archetypal superior incidental Apollo Aviation had experienced successful its decades of operation.