A flight instructor and his teenage student died when their single-engine plane crashed in dense woods near a north Mississippi airport, according to investigators and family members.
The Piper PA-28-140 went down around 5 p.m. Sunday, east of the runway at Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport near Greer Road, according to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. The crash killed 29-year-old Wesley Bolden of Marshall County and 17-year-old Jordan Hall of Olive Branch.
The plane struck a large pine tree before bursting into flames upon hitting the ground in a heavily wooded area, Sheriff Kenny Dickerson told WMC-TV Action News 5.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash, the agency said in a Jan. 18 post on X.
Bolden served as an assistant football coach at Marshall Academy, a college-preparatory school in Holly Springs, according to a Facebook post from the school. The academy described him as a “beloved member” of the class of 2017 who possessed a “true passion for teaching and mentoring others.”
He was a devoted family man who served as the center of his baby daughter Ruby Jean’s universe, the academy said. The school noted he was the proud fiancé of Erica Keller and a cherished son, brother, grandson, cousin, and nephew.
Sheriff Dickerson, who said he personally knew Bolden’s family, described them as “top of the line, top-class people”. The sheriff called the crash “absolutely devastating” twice during his interview.
Hall was with his girlfriend at church earlier Sunday before dropping her off and heading to the fatal flight lesson, his mother, Jacinta Hall-Weeden, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
The grieving mother shared that her only child “died doing what he loved” and said she was grateful for the peace her faith provides. “Amidst the pain and tears, the longing to just see and touch my baby once more, God has given me peace that surpasses ALL understanding because I KNOW Jordan is resting in Him,” she wrote.
Hall’s aunt, Patrina Hall, remembered her nephew in a Facebook post as “the sweetest, most thoughtful, talented, fearless, and authentic young man.” She said she was devastated over losing him at 17, but found comfort in the fact that he experienced much during his short life.
The teenager had fallen in love, flown airplanes, watched his mother get married, attended college and NBA games, shared an unbreakable bond with his grandparents, traveled, and maintained a strong faith, his aunt said. “I find solace in knowing whose he is and who he is now with,” she wrote.
The Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport serves general aviation traffic in the region, about 35 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.
Messages seeking additional details on the crash from the NTSB were not immediately returned.
