Augusta, GA
Pilot Remembered as 'Outstanding Individual' After He Died in Georgia Neighborhood Plane Crash
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Jason McKenzie, a pilot and associate director of philanthropy at Augusta University, is being remembered as an “outstanding individual” after he died in a Georgia neighborhood plane crash, his employer, church and friends confirmed to local outlets.
The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza A36 that McKenzie was flying crashed along Hillcrest Avenue in Augusta on Thursday, May 2, ABC affiliate WRDW reported. The outlet added that he was the only person on board and that “there were no other injuries” on the ground.
“I think that was a miracle,” a neighbor, Lisa Lewis, told WRDW. “I’m just thankful no one else on the ground was hurt.”
Lewis, who lives on Hillcrest Avenue, described the plane as “way louder than normal, and it got louder and louder and it just sounded like it was right outside the window.” After hearing a “loud banging pop sound,” she told the outlet that her electricity went out.
Then, locals spotted the scene of the crash where the flames “were so tall,” Lewis recalled, adding, “It could have been so much worse.”
According to WRDW, the plane took off from Daniel Field Airport in Augusta and was headed for New Haven, Conn. The aircraft only reached an altitude of 625 feet before crashing. Four minutes after takeoff, it clipped a tree and came down between two homes.
First responders are calling McKenzie a hero, per CBS affiliate WAFB, while Augusta Fire Chief Antonio Burden told WRDW that he “can only credit the pilot for that situation — for not involving another structure.”
Dean Newman, a good friend of the pilot who played golf with him and his son, told ABC affiliate WJBF that the “community has really lost an outstanding individual in Jason McKenzie, and he is going to be greatly missed.”
According to CBS affiliate WIAT, the Federal Aviation Administration shared that McKenzie had 800 hours of flying time last year, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
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In a statement shared on Facebook by Will Dyer, a pastor for First Baptist Church of Augusta, he said McKenzie was a “devoted husband, father, and son” who “loved his community, his work, and his church.”
“Jason McKenzie was my friend,” Dyer continued. “We spoke on the phone almost every week and I never left a phone call with Jason where I didn’t have a smile on my face. My life is better because Jason played a role in it.”
McKenzie is survived by his wife, Stephanie, his son, Patrick, and his mother, Becky, the church confirmed to WIAT.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students at two Augusta schools were caught with weapons in separate incidents, and students were caught with toy guns at a Columbia County school.
At Glenn Hills High School on Tuesday, administrators learned a student may have had a gun on campus.
Richmond County School System police found the student, and a weapon was discovered, according to a letter to parents.
READ THE LETTERS TO PARENTS:
The incident will be addressed by school district police and the code of student conduct and discipline, parents were told.
Meanwhile at McBean Elementary School, a student brought a kitchen knife to class and showed it to other students on Wednesday. Another student notified the teacher, who confiscated the item.
The incident was addressed based on the code of student conduct and discipline, parents were told.
At Grovetown High School on Wednesday, two students were caught using toy guns.
The toys were found in the students’ backpacks after administrators learned of a brief disturbance in the 600 hallway of the building before the school day started.
The students are being held accountable according to the code of conduct and have been criminally charged, according to the Columbia County School District.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As the world of artificial intelligence continues to grow, leaders are creating new opportunities for anyone looking for a career in the industry.
The inaugural Georgia Artificial Intelligence and Manufacturing Expo took place at the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center on Wednesday, hosting organizations from across the state.
Georgia AIM is a statewide program focused on educating and employing the AI in manufacturing workforce.
“We’re also focused on underrepresented and underserved communities women, minority veterans, people without a college degree, people who want to get into the workforce, learn new skills, get a really, really good-paying job, start a career,” said co-director Donna Ennis.
At first, multiple organizations showed up, dedicated to the same mission.
Justin Kirnon, community engagement specialist for Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, said: “We’re exposing this to minority communities, specifically black communities, all over the state of Georgia, because of the fact that, when you look at manufacturing owners and companies, we’re not represented in that space as well as we should be.”
The goal is to create exposure through demonstrations using AI-driven software like 3D printing and virtual reality.
University of Georgia graduate research assistant Christian Garcia-Ponce, said: “A lot of people when they hear AI, they think it’s going to take over the world and people are going to lose jobs. Really, what we’re hoping to show people is we’re going to grow with it. It’s not going to grow without us and showing them how they can kind of play into that.”
One partnering organization says they start the learning process at a young age.
“We train girls in the areas of computer programming, of course, cyber security, artificial intelligence, digital safety, robotics, drone technology and other STEM-related areas as well,” said Ebony Brown, CEO of Brown Girls Code.
They say they plan to host an expo every year with the hope they’ll keep people up to speed as AI and technology continue to grow.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A missing Augusta woman’s “suspicious death” is under investigation after her body was found in a car at Pendleton King Park.
Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen says Quanda Ball, 43, of the 1000 block of Grasmere Drive, was reported missing to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office on May 16.
Ball was found in a car at the park and was pronounced dead on the scene at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, Bowen says.
An autopsy has been scheduled.
The discovery came hours after a man died by suicide at Pendleton King Park after he was suspected of killing a woman Walton Way.
Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Augusta Parks and Recreation Department announced Pendleton King Park was temporarily closed.
We’ve reached out to deputies for more information.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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