Pilot identified in Ohio plane crash that claimed 9 South Florida lives

Friends say Andres Chavez had 15 years of flying experience

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A pilot who was killed in a crash while flying seven Boca Raton colleagues to Ohio on a business trip has been identified by family members as Andres Chavez.

According to friends, Chavez was from Colombia but had been living in Miami. They said he has been a pilot for 15 years, most recently working for execuFlight, a Fort Lauderdale-based company that charters private flights.

"He used to fly for several companies in Colombia before coming to the United States," Chavez's friend, Esteban Saltos, said. "I've been in shock because Andres was a good pilot, a good friend and a great father."

During a news conference Thursday, National Transportation Safety Board vice chair Bella Dinh-Zarr said investigators are expected to be at the crash site for the next two days, but will be there for as long as needed.

She said investigators have so far recovered the cockpit voice recorder. Dinh-Zarr said the quality of the tape is "quite poor," but said the pilot could be heard speaking about the weather and landing.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Chavez took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on Monday with a co-pilot and seven passengers.

The FAA said the plane took off from Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday and was about 2 miles from Akron Fulton International Airport when it crashed at about 3 p.m.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Bill Haymaker said the small Hawker H25 jet, which can hold up to 10 people, clipped telephone or electrical wires before crashing into a four-family apartment complex.

No one was inside the complex at the time of the crash, and no one on the ground was injured. About 12 families who lived in the apartment complex were displaced.

On Wednesday, loved ones identified the seven passengers as Diane Smoot, 50, Diana Suriel, Thomas Virgin, Nick Weaver, Jared Weiner, Ori Rom and Gary Shapiro.

All seven worked for Boca Raton-based real estate firm Pebb Enterprises, which scouts locations to develop shopping malls.

Weaver's family released a statement to the media Thursday that said, in part: "Nick was a beloved husband, son, brother, cousin and friend. Loved by all who knew him, Nick was known for his quick wit and zest for life, but most importantly, he was treasured and admired for his giving heart. Nick was always the first to offer help to anyone in need. From caring for ill family to helping friends move, he made time for those in his life."

The family said Weaver also loved sports and played hockey while growing up in central New York.

Investigators from the NTSB were back at the scene of the crash Thursday to examine evidence, including surveillance video of the crash, to determine what went wrong.

Dinh-Zarr said video shows the plane flying at a low altitude and banking toward the left before it crashed.

Employees of the family-owned real estate firm have created a GoFundMe page to help with the victims' funeral expenses. Funds will also be divided among the families to help with travel expenses and to establish education funds for the children of the victims.

Click here is donate to the fund.

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About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.