A Louisiana man who died in a plane crash on Aug. 27 is being hailed as a hero after saving his girlfriend’s life moments after the aircraft went down.
First-time flyer Reginald Hilliard Jr., 25, and his girlfriend, Briana Davis, boarded a small Cessna 172 to take a sightseeing tour—a surprise birthday gift from Davis—when the plane encountered a rainstorm, reported the New Orleans Advocate.
“The couple had hired the aircraft to take them on a night time flight around the city of New Orleans,” said Lakefront Airport Director Ben Morris, reported KLFY News.
“Just a good guy. A good pilot. I know from things that were said the people that were on the tour with him enjoyed it. They had a good time. They had a great flight.”
Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said federal officials are investigating the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash.
“It’s going to be moved to a secure facility in which they'll do a detailed wreckage layout and examine it further,” Weiss said.
Reginald Hilliard Jr. is survived by three children.
