Jessica Dubroff

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Jessica Whitney Dubroff (May 5, 1988 – April 11, 1996) was a 7-year-old pilot trainee who was attempting to become the youngest person to fly an airplane across the United States when, 24 hours into her flight, her general aviation aircraft crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne Regional Airport in Cheyenne, Wyoming.^[1]

She was born in Hercules, Contra Costa County, California. During her flight, which included several stopovers, Dubroff became an instant media celebrity. Her flight was vigorously followed by supporters, media outlets, and others who monitored her flight every day for the duration of her trip, reporting each time she landed or took off, until the abrupt ending of her "Sea to Shining Sea Flight."

Dubroff's aircraft took off from Cheyenne in heavy rain and a sudden storm. The weather conditions contributed to the accident, which occurred within a few minutes after takeoff. Jessica Dubroff, her father Lloyd Dubroff, and her flight instructor Joe Reid all died in the crash. Reid was legally the pilot in command for all her flights and was apparently manipulating the controls during this particular flight segment.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded that pilot Joe Reid had made an "improper decision to take off into deteriorating weather conditions when the airplane was overweight and when the density altitude was higher than he was accustomed to, resulting in a stall caused by failure to maintain airspeed. Contributing to the pilot in command's decision to take off was a desire to adhere to an overly ambitious itinerary, in part, because of media commitments."

The accident and its associated publicity led to federal legislation that prohibits anyone who does not hold at least a private pilot certificate and a current medical certificate from being allowed to manipulate the controls of an aircraft during any record attempt, aeronautical competition, or aeronautical feat.^[2]^[3]^[4]

A book about Dubroff's life has been published by her mother, Lisa Blair Hathaway.