NEED TO KNOW
- Jacob Harnett and his son Carter, 11, died in a small plane crash near the Williston, Fla. regional airport while traveling home from a weekend of hunting in Kentucky, loved ones said in an online fundraiser
- “Jacob was a pillar of the Key West fishing community who, originally raised in coastal Maine, built his fishing charter business over the span of two decades, and Carter was the pure embodiment of a blissful kid born and raised in Key West,” a GoFundMe organizer wrote
- The pilot, Spencer Arnold, also died in the crash. “Spencer’s favorite moments were in the air, taking sunset flights that painted the sky with the same warmth he brought to everyone who knew him,” a memorial for the 33-year-old notes
A Florida father and his 11-year-old son have been identified by relatives after they were killed in a small plane crash last weekend.
Jacob Harnett and his son Carter, died near the Williston, Fla. regional airport while traveling home from a weekend of hunting in Kentucky, loved ones said in a GoFundMe fundraiser for the family.
According to the GoFundMe page, Harnett is survived by his partner Tiffanie, and 3-year-old daughter Faith.
“Jacob was a pillar of the Key West fishing community who, originally raised in coastal Maine, built his fishing charter business over the span of two decades,” Jacob’s uncle Andy Harnett wrote. “Carter was the pure embodiment of a blissful kid born and raised in Key West.”
“Both were larger than life. Jacob’s booming laugh could be heard from a mile away, the same way Carter’s beaming smile could be seen,” he continued. “They will be missed to no end by Tiffanie and their daughter Faith, their families, friends, and community.”
Harnett did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional details about the father and son, but he told WTVJ he remembered Carter as “so energetic, just an infectious smile, friends with everyone, smart kid, very respectful” and noted that his nephew Jacob, “loved the water,” which is why “Key West suited him so well.”
WTVJ reported Jacob, who was 41-years-old at the time of his death, was the owner of DeepEnd Charters, a local fishing business.
The Tampa Bay Times identified the pilot, who was also killed in the crash, as 33-year-old Spencer Arnold.
An online memorial for Arnold notes he was raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky and leaves behind his husband, Ben Johnson, and his mother, Cinda Arnold.
“In 2019, Spencer moved to Saint Petersburg, Florida, to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot at ATP Flight School. What began as a passion quickly grew into a calling,” the memorial says.
“By 2020, he had founded CloudLine Air, his own flight contracting business, a reflection of his determination, skill, and fearless heart,” his memorial continues. “Spencer’s favorite moments were in the air, taking sunset flights that painted the sky with the same warmth he brought to everyone who knew him.”
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A day after the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed on X that officials were “Investigating the crash Sunday of a Beech 58P one mile NW of Williston Regional Airport, Williston, Florida.”
Contacted on Friday, Oct. 10, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was not able to respond to media inquiries due to a lapse in funding amid a federal government shutdown. The NTSB shared a similar message when contacted by PEOPLE about the status of the investigation.
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