Missionaries Killed in Zambia Plane Crash

Missionary couple Jay and Katrina Erickson were killed in a recent crash in Zambia after working at a local hospital.  Jay Erickson was reportedly the pilot, trained by Moody Bible Institute’s Moody Aviation.  The aircraft was a 6-seat Cessna.

The couple were in their 20s and had left their two young daughters at the hospital:

Their daughters, 2-year-old Marina and 1-year-old Coral, had stayed behind at the hospital. Katrina Erickson’s parents, who live in Wisconsin, are preparing to travel to Zambia with Jay Erickson’s mother to reunite with their granddaughters, said Pastor Ron Ulmer of Hillyard Baptist Church on Monday.

While there are no further details, it remains true that mission aviation — arguably, even civil aviation — is a dangerous profession.  Though they are largely unknown and under-appreciated, missionary aviators support missions around the world.