A tragic incident has left a flight instructor and her student, a U.S. Navy officer and expectant father, presumed dead after their plane crashed into a lake near New Orleans, according to reports from authorities and local news outlets.
Flight instructor Taylor Dickey and Navy Lt. David Michael Jahn embarked on a flight in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk last Monday. Unfortunately, their aircraft vanished from radar over Lake Pontchartrain, situated approximately four miles north of New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The United Cajun Navy stated that the duo had taken off from Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport, approximately 70 miles from where they disappeared, as reported by WWLTV.
Jahn, stationed with the Navy Seabees as a Civil Engineer Corps officer in Gulfport, Mississippi, was married to his wife Taylor, who is currently five months pregnant. The flight school noted that Jahn was nearing completion of his commercial pilot’s license, having accumulated nearly 250 flight hours.
The United Cajun Navy described the flight instructor as a person renowned for her deep faith, passion for aviation, and dedication to guiding other women in the field.
David Michael Jahn is now presumed dead after the disappearance of his plane from radar on November 24, 2025. (Facebook/ David Michael Jahn)
While the United Cajun Navy remains steadfast in their search, emphasizing the need for “closure for families,” the Coast Guard has halted its efforts. The Coast Guard announced the suspension on Wednesday afternoon after an extensive search by air and water over 45 hours, spanning more than 770 square miles.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic situation,” Cmdr. Michael Wurster, the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement. “Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we make, and it is done only after every effort has been made to locate those involved.”
Instructor Taylor Dickey has been presumed dead after her plane disappeared from radar on Nov. 24, 2025. (Facebook /Taylor Dickey)
Michael Carastro, the owner of flight school Apollo Aviation that owned the plane, said during a press conference on Tuesday that no distress call was made, but the plane likely disintegrated on impact in a “very, very violent” manner.
He described the challenges of flying over water at night, especially in “marginal” weather, present a lot of challenges to the pilot.
Navy Lt. David Michael Jahn was married to his wife, Taylor, who is five months pregnant, when he disappeared on Nov. 24, 2025. (Facebook/ David Michael Jahn)
The United Cajun Navy said Saturday that wreckage from the missing aircraft — including a seat cushion and headrest from a small plane — was eventually found. The group said it utilized boats, sonar teams, air support and K9 units amid harsh weather.
He expressed profound grief and noted that this was the first serious incident Apollo Aviation had experienced in its decades of operation.
