Employer, friends remember pilot who died in Wayne crash

WAYNE, Neb. -- The flying community continues to mourn the loss of a pilot who died in a crash in northeast Nebraska last week.

The fatal crash happened at the Wayne Municipal Airport last Friday evening during a final approach in what is believed to have been a stall spin accident.

The pilot, identified by his employer, JetAVIVA, as Tom Dafoe, was the only occupant of the plane.

Wayne Municipal Airport was hosting the Mayday STOL Drag Race events on the day of the crash. According to airport officials, the crash was not related to an ongoing race or event. High winds prompted officials to temporarily stop remaining events that day, but pilots could still fly at the time if they chose to.

All remaining events of the Mayday STOL Drag Race at Wayne Municipal airport were canceled.

The National Transportation Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.

A GoFundMe campaign was set up by JetAVIVA to support Tom’s family and his memorial service. According to Jet Aviva, Tom was a passionate aviator and devoted his career to promoting general aviation, and his absence will be felt throughout the industry.