BEVERLY — Two men, one from Melrose, died after a small plane crashed near the Beverly airport on Thursday, June 19.
The pilot, Geoffrey Andrews, 30, died when the single-engine plane crashed as it was taking off from Beverly Regional Airport. The other person died earlier this week.
His family released a statement and said Andrews’ wife, Gentry, is pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“Geoffrey’s family, friends, and his beloved wife Gentry are devastated and heartbroken at his untimely death Thursday morning when the plane he was piloting crashed shortly after takeoff in Beverly, Massachusetts. We thank the investigators who we trust will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused this catastrophic loss of life. We also pray for his passenger in the plane and are sending his loved ones strength through this difficult time.
“Each day in his deeply loved career, he immersed himself in the world of aerospace engineering and dreamed of someday having the opportunity to become an astronaut. He was proud to be a staff scientist for MIT Lincoln Laboratory and an equally proud doctoral graduate of Purdue University, as well as Lehigh University, where he completed his undergraduate studies and had recently begun teaching as a visiting lecturer.
“Geoffrey loved flying, even moonlighting as a ferry pilot to build hours and experience as a graduate student. He flew aerobatics for several years, volunteered as a glider pilot, and was working toward his CFI to be able to teach others about the joy of flight.
“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. 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. Geoffrey was Gentry’s biggest support system in life, especially during the recent death of her cherished mother, Marcia.
“Geoffrey’s family and friends have established a GoFundMe page and ask for public support for Gentry, who is expecting their first child in October.
“The family requests privacy at this difficult time and refers questions about the accident to investigative authorities.”
As of Tuesday night, the GoFundMe has raised more than $80,000.
In an interview of Channel 5 Tuesday, Gentry said she and her husband met on a blind date. Before long, they were in the air together and talking about marriage.
“He flew me to dinner and I was like, wow. It was pretty cool. It was exhilarating and our first kiss was even in the air,” Andrews said. “He said, ‘Oh, one sec, move the microphone.’ And that was our first kiss. I mean, it’s pretty hard to top that.”
Last week’s crash remains 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.