Smash actress Megan Hilty's pregnant sister, niece and brother-in-law are killed in horror plane crash in Seattle | The Sun
ACTRESS Megan Hilty's pregnant sister, niece, and brother-in-law were killed in a horrific plane crash, according to reports.
The pregnant sister, niece, and brother-in-law of Megan Hilty – known for her role in NBC's musical drama Smash – have all passed away after a plane they were in crashed in Seattle, Washington, according to TMZ.
The plane, described as a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter (a single-engine propeller plane) by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), crashed into Puget Sound near Whidbey Island on Sunday.
Lauren Hilty, Ross Mickel, and their daughter Remy were among the nine passengers on the floatplane that went down, King 5 reports.
The plane was flying from Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands to Renton Municipal Airport when it went down.
Following the crash, the body of one female passenger was discovered by a good Samaritan on Sunday evening and has not been identified.
Two planes were deployed to the waters late Sunday to search for the missing passengers and air patrols, but the remaining nine passengers have not been found.
A search for the bodies was suspended on Monday after covering more than 2100 square nautical miles.
As per King 5, the names of the 10 people aboard the plane were released on Tuesday morning by the US Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard revealed the pilot to be Jason Winters, the passengers as Patricia Hicks, Sandra Williams, Lauren Hilty, Remy Mickel, Ross Mickel, Luke Ludwig, Rebecca Ludwig, Joanne Mera and Gabrielle Hanna.
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According to the coast guard, Remy Mickel was the only child on the plane.
Sources told King 5 that Lauren, Remy, and Ross were family members.
"We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca," Remy's family told King 5.
"Our collective grief is unimaginable. They were a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them. Although their time with us was too short, we will carry their legacy forward."
The statement continued: "The enormous outpouring and support we have received from our friends, family, and the public has been overwhelming.
"Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who also lost loved ones on board.
"At this difficult time, we are requesting that our privacy be respected as we grieve the loss of our family members.”
Ross was a local winemaker and owned Ross Andrew Wineries.
Amid the news of his death, the Washington State Wine Commission released the following statement: "We are deeply saddened by the news about Ross Mickel and his family. Ross had an incredible impact on the Washington wine community and he will be greatly missed.
"Our thoughts are with his loved ones as they navigate this extraordinarily difficult time.”
local winemaker and owner Ross Andrew Mickel of Ross Andrew Wineries.
Meanwhile, the cause of the crash – which was first reported at 3:11pm – is unknown, authorities said.
Eyewitness Rick Rasmussen said: "It sounded like dynamite went off."
Others described seeing the seaplane "nosedive" into the water, Lieutenant Jon Gabelein of South Whidbey Fire said.
Floatplanes, which have pontoons allowing them to land on water, are a common sight around Puget Sound, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean.
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