Missionary pilot was breathing heavy in final moments before fatal plane crash with daughter: NTSB

In the final moments just before Ignite the Fire founder and CEO Alexander Wurm fatally crashed his Beech King Air B100 airplane near Coral Springs, Florida, with his adult daughter Serena last month, air traffic control recorded heavy breathing and grunting.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said the 53-year-old Wurm and his 22-year-old daughter were set to deliver relief aid to Hurricane Melissa-ravaged Jamaica on Nov. 10, when it nosedived shortly after takeoff.

According to the report, before takeoff at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the Cayman-based ministry founder and pilot loaded the plane with supplies donated by a local church group, including a generator and multiple boxes of tarpaulins, electric tools, screws and flashlights.

“They had been told in advance by the pilot that he could take about 1,000 lbs of cargo; however, upon arrival they noticed that he had already loaded about 200 lbs of equipment into the airplane behind the pilot’s seat. The group began to pass the cargo in through the rear door, while the pilot arranged it within the cabin,” the report states.

“The generator (which did not contain fuel) was loaded in the aft baggage compartment and secured to the airframe with webbing. The remaining cargo was placed by the pilot on the cabin seats and their footwells.”

While Wurm didn’t weigh the cargo, the report says he checked the weight documented on the boxes and, once capacity was reached, decided to leave the remaining supplies for another flight.

“Review of a photo taken after completion showed that the center aisle of the cabin was clear and that the cargo was loaded unsecured throughout the cabin on passenger seats,” the report states.

At approximately 10:14 a.m., Wurm’s plane departed from the runway after it was filled to capacity with 282 gallons of jet fuel.

“Over the 3 ½-minute takeoff and climb, the airplane initiated a climbing right turn to the northwest at an average climb rate of about 1,000 fpm, with vertical speed variations between 0 and 2,800 fpm, until the airplane leveled off at 4,000 ft msl,” the report explains.

Wurm was then instructed by air traffic control to “initiate a right turn to a heading of 120°, and the pilot acknowledged.” Shortly after, it appears as if Wurm began to experience some difficulty.

“The airplane began a turn to the right at an airspeed of about 150 kts, and about 25 seconds later the heading was amended to 090°, which the pilot again acknowledged. By the time the airplane reached the 090° heading, it had accelerated to 200 kts and was starting to descend,” the report notes.

“A few seconds later, the controller instructed the pilot to continue the turn to a 120° heading, but by this time the airplane had already descended to about 3,100 ft. With no response from the pilot, the controller transmitted, ‘November zero hotel golf, climbing?’ Heavy breathing and ‘grunting’ sounds could then be heard, and by that time the airplane had descended to about 1,500 ft and reached an airspeed of about 270 kts,” the report explains. “The last ADS-B target was recorded a few seconds later, about 200 ft west and 350 ft above the impact location.”

Investigators said a series of security cameras recorded the final seconds of the crash, and it did not appear that the plane was experiencing any technical malfunction.

“The airplane was not trailing smoke or vapors in any of the recordings, all of which captured the sound of engines operating,” investigators note.

Ignite the Fire Ministry is dedicated to empowering youth through missions and evangelism across the Caribbean. They aim to train volunteers who are passionate about making a difference, fostering leadership and community involvement.

Wurm leaves behind his wife, Candace, and two children: a 17-year-old son, James, and a 20-year-old daughter, Christiana.