7-year-old flier's funeral ends the saga
April 15, 1996
Web posted at: 8:10 p.m. EDT
PESCADERO, California (CNN) -- Accompanied by a throng of media photographers, friends and relatives of 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff gathered to say goodbye to the little girl who dreamed of flying a small plane across the country.
Dubroff's dream ended Thursday when her Cessna Cardinal 177 crashed shortly after take-off from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jessica, her father and flight instructor were killed in the crash.
A steady rain kept the mourners under umbrellas, but it softened to a drizzle as the procession to the grave site wound its way through Mount Hope Cemetery, where young Dubroff used to ride her bike.
A pickup truck adorned with white flowers carried the white coffin containing Dubroff's body, and her mother, Lisa Hathaway, followed behind. The sounds of soft music and chirping birds accompanied the procession.
Flight instructor Joe Reid's funeral mass was held earlier Monday, at a town 15 miles away. Hathaway and her two surviving children, Joshua and Jasmine, attended the service at Our Lady of the Pillar Roman Catholic Church in Half Moon Bay, California.
The funeral for Lloyd Dubroff, Dubroff's father, was planned for Tuesday.
Jessica, her father and Reid took off from Half Moon Bay, California, last Wednesday as Jessica attempted to become the youngest person to pilot a plane across the country. The plane landed in Cheyenne late in the day, and took off the next morning in a strong storm.
Officials are still investigating the cause of the crash, but at least one investigator has said he believed the plane was overloaded.
And the San Francisco Examiner reported that Dubroff's dream ended on its first day. The paper quoted Hathaway as saying that Reid twice took the controls of the plane during the flight from California to Wyoming.
Related stories
- NTSB: Child's plane was overloaded - April 12
- Jessica Dubroff photo album - April 11
- 7-year-old killed trying to break flying record - April 11
- Death stalks world-record bids - April 11
- FAA says instructor responsible in crash - April 11
- Youngsters who have piloted small planes - April 11
- Child pilot, 2 others die in crash - April 11
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