YouTube aviation star Jenny Blalock and her father are killed in horror plane crash in Tennessee - j
A YouTube aviation star and her father have been identified as the victims of a single-engine plane crash on Thursday.
Jenny Blalock, 45 and her 78-year-old father James Blalock were killed when Jenny's Beechcraft 35 crashed by Diana Ridge Road road near Pulaski in Tennessee around 11:15am local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The tragedy struck just days after Blalock, who ran a popular YouTube account called TNFlygirl, posted a haunting final video of herself flying with her father.
At one point Jenny can be seen reading instructions from a piece of paper while she trials a new Cherokee 180 plane for a friend.
The pair's final flight left from Knoxville Downtown Island Airport about an hour and 15 minutes before the crash, according to data from Flight Aware.
Jenny Blalock, 45 (right) and her 78-year-old father James Blalock (left) were killed when Jenny's Beechcraft 35 crashed
A YouTube aviation star and her father have been identified as the victims of a single-engine plane crash on Thursday
Blalock ran a popular YouTube account called TNFlygirl with more than 15,000 followers
Bill Myers, director of the Giles County Office of Emergency Management, said two bodies were found outside of the plane, which crashed in a 'remote' area that was difficult for crews to reach, WKRN reported.
The Blalocks were the only occupants on board the plane at the time of the crash, authorities confirmed.
A neighbor attempted to rescue the pair after it fell from the sky into his property.
'My wife seen the plane come over and crash into the hillside over there,' Richy Sands told WSMV.
Sands said he immediately went to the crash site to try to save anyone who might be alive and stomp out a possible crush fire.
'Just plane all over the place,' he recalled. 'Just total destruction. Just parts everywhere all on up the hill. And when EMS got there, they found one person burning.'
'Hate to see someone lose their life in something like that,' Sands added.
An emergency service vehicle leaves the scene of the crash on Thursday
Jenny Blalock posted this picture of herself after passing her private pilot check in 2022
Jenny flew a single-engine Beechcraft 35, a passion she recorded on her YouTube account
As well as an aviator Jenny owned two businesses, Plantation Reclaimed Inc and Luxe Homes and Design
A fire consumed the plane and surrounding area but was quickly extinguished by emergency responders.
Jenny, a business owner, described herself as a 'private pilot, flying for fun in a Beechcraft debonair' on her YouTube account.
'Private pilots have a unique perspective on aviation that can be informative and entertaining' she wrote on the channel which has more than 15,000 followers.
On her site she describes her father as having 'years of flying experience.'
Several videos on the site appear to show Jenny flying with her father in the aircraft's passenger seat.
In one, entitled 'Pilot Training With My Dad', posted three weeks ago the pair soar through the skies together discussing the technicalities.
'I love flying with my dad. I wanted to fly the same or similar mock check ride 'routine' that is flown in my hometown' Jenny wrote in the videos caption.
'I brought my dad along to help me work out the avionics kinks, and way points' she added.
The Blalock family said in a statement: 'We would like to thank the community for their outpouring of love and support for our family during this unimaginable loss of two precious members of our family, Jenny and Jim (Buck) Blalock.
'Our family is taking great comfort in knowing that they were together when they met our Lord and Savior!
'At this point, we are still trying to process this tremendous loss. We ask that you pray for our family in the days and months ahead.'
Many friends and well-wishers also took to social media to share their grief at the pair's passing.
'I'll miss seeing you come into my job and our talks rest in peace' one user wrote.
'R.I.P Jenny. You are such an inspiration to young women and following their passions' another posted on her profile.
A third added: 'RIP Jenny and James. You both will be missed by many.'
Jenny was flying the plane at the time of the crash, the director of emergency services for Giles County told WKRN.
An investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is ongoing.
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