'It's a miracle': Augusta community comments on plane crash, discuss pilot who died

The top story on many Augustans' minds right now is a sudden and tragic one.

On Thursday morning, a single-engine airplane was flying out of Daniel Field in Augusta when, on its return, it crashed into the middle of a nearby neighborhood and erupted into flames. The pilot died, but there was no one else on the plane and no one on the ground was hurt as a result of the crash.

This incident occurred right over the heads of the nearby residents and the crash was within sight of their front doors. Here's a look at what they experienced and who the pilot was:

Neighbors react to Augusta airplane crash

The airplane crashed on the outskirts of a resident's yard at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue and Belmont Drive off Walton Way, about a mile away from Daniel Field. One of the other residents of the intersection is Bowe Strickland.

"I was on the porch over here, and I was working on a project so I didn't think anything about the engine sound, until I heard the crack of trees," he said. "Coming off the porch, I could just see a tall pillar of flame."

Joe Sheehan, who lives on Belmont, said he'd heard a loud thud and all of the power went out. His wife, Nancy Sheehan, was asleep at the time, and when The Augusta Chronicle spoke to the two around 2:14 p.m. she had only just gone to check out the taped-off crash site.

"It was much closer than we thought," she said. "We thought it was up the street."

Many neighbors reported similar power outages, including Mike Downing who lives in a cul-de-sac further down the way from the intersection.

"I was just concerned about how many people had been hurt or killed," he said. "But it was fortunate how it hit that tree ... if it hadn't hit that tree, it probably would have hit that house."

Elizabeth Steiner, who lives on Hillcrest, said she heard what sounded like a logger truck speeding up the street followed by a crashing sound, then the whole house and ground shook. Given how close they live to the airport, she wasn't entirely surprised by something like this but expressed relief similar to Downing's.

"It's a miracle," she said. "Makes me feel the pilot ... really knew what he was doing."

More: Pilot dies in plane crash near Daniel Field in Augusta, identity released by church

Who was the pilot in the airplane crash?

Jason McKenzie was identified as the pilot in a letter to First Baptist Church of Augusta congregants from the church's senior pastor Will Dyer. In it, Dyer said McKenzie leaves behind a wife, Stephanie; son, Patrick; and, mother, Becky, and asked the congregation to send them love and generosity over the coming days, weeks, and months.

"Jason McKenzie was my friend," Dyer wrote. "We spoke on the phone almost every week and I never left a phone call with Jason where I didn't have a smile on my face. My life is better because Jason played a role in it."

McKenzie worked at Augusta University as the Associate Director of Philanthropy. AU issued the following statement via email: "Jason McKenzie joined Augusta University in 2020 and worked in Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, where he was extensively involved in building relationships and working with donors who support our athletics programs. His passion for the university and our athletics programs was unsurpassed. We are keeping Jason’s family, friends and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers."

In the hours following the news of his death, many friends took to social media posting moving tributes about McKenzie, including Augusta Commissioner Sean Frantom who wrote on Facebook that they had been friends for more than 35 years and was part of McKenzie's wedding.

"He loved the Lord and loved his family. He is one of the best family men I have ever known," he wrote. "I had the opportunity to play Augusta National for the first time with Jason because he worked on the grounds crew. We were the first ones there and the last ones to leave that day. We played over 60 holes that day between the two courses. He loved to be 'Jim Nantz' while we played."

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta airplane neighborhood crash, resident reactions, pilot info