Friends of the young flight instructor who died in a plane crash while teaching a student last week mourned her death over the weekend – saying the 23-year-old had been living her lifelong dream of becoming a commercial pilot.
Viktoria Theresie Izabelle Ljungman, 23, died in the crash Thursday in Newport News, Virginia, when an 18-year-old student pilot she was instructing pulled the small plane up at too steep of an angle at takeoff
That caused the single-engine Cessna to stall, officials investigating the crash said, and plummet to the earth from about 100 feet at about 3pm at Williamsburg International Airport.
‘I remember when I first met her, that’s all she ever wanted to do. She wanted to be a commercial pilot,’ Charlie Hudson, who played tennis at Hampton University, told the Daily Press on Friday.
Ljungman, who was from Sweden, attended the school on a tennis scholarship, and realized her dream of becoming a flight instructor after graduating last May.
The crash is currently under investigation, according to officials, who revealed over the weekend that a tactical error from the teenage student pilot caused the tragedy
Oluwagbohunmi Ayomide Oyebode, also a student at Hampton, survived the crash, officials revealed, and suffered ‘life-threatening’ injuries. He was airlifted to VCU Hospital in Richmond where he currently remains.
Officials said the aircraft crashed in woods near the airport shortly after take-off.
Ljungman extensively documented her ‘journey to become an airline pilot’ on her Instagram, where she shared photos and videos from various flights.
Photos show the young graduate beaming in the cockpit, with one post revealing that she had just got her flight instructor license in April.
In a photo apparently taken after passing the exam, Ljungman can be seen proudly celebrating her accomplishment – one of many steps taken by the young woman in realizing her dream, her friends said.
‘I don’t remember her ever not smiling,’ Hudson said, remembering his old teammate’s positive attitude. ‘She was just contagious in her energy, just lovely to be around.’
‘To know “Hey, my roommate is a legend — not a legend in the making, but a legend,” Mabry told the station. ‘It was just so commendable and so rewarding to see her dreams become a reality.’
She added that ‘She just was her being so authentic, people were naturally drawn to her.’
Hudson agreed, saying ‘she was just … such a pure soul that seemed so innocent.’
‘How she presents herself on social media… was how she was in person,’ he went on. ‘I think that’s quite rare these days, to find someone who’s like for like, both in person and online.’
Cops are currently investigating the crash, which left the wrecked Cessna 172 in a ditch in woods near the small-town airport.
They have since ascertained that the crash transpired during a lesson provided by Ljungman to teenage Oyebode, who has been deemed at fault for the accident.
Another 18-year-old male was also onboard plane. Both suffered injurired described by officials as life-‘threatening.’
According to HBCU Gameday, both of the injured young men are current students at Hampton and were taking an aviation class.
The school has a partnership with a local fight school based out of Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport, where Ljungman was an instructor.
Hudson, who played on the men’s team, called Ljungman ‘family’ and said being a commercial pilot was
Mabry told WAVY: ‘We were two roommates with two completely different cultures- but we complimented each other so well. We were each others’ teachers- she taught me so much about her Swedish heritage and even invited me to visit Sweden on day! I taught her about my African American heritage which led to many conversations between us because Viktoria was just so curious and just overall respectful.’
She added, ‘She was truly someone you only meet once. And I will love her until the day after forever.’
Ljungman had gotten her license to teach in April of this year after getting her commercial license in March of 2021, according to the Daily Press
The university released a statement that only commented on the two young men, saying: ‘Hampton University is aware of the unfortunate accident that occurred today involving two of our students. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation. Out of respect for the students and their families we have no further comment at this time.’
Ljungman’s graduating class at Hampton is working to organize donations to her family, Mabry added.
Spearheaded by Virginia State Police, the crash is still under investigation
