A Winnetka pilot and three members of his family who died in a plane crash on Feb. 11 in Agua Dulce will have services open to the public on Saturday, while a GoFundMe account has been set up for donations, a family member said.
The services are set for 2 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 19855 Sherman Way between Winnetka and Corbin avenues.
The victims have been identified as Thomas Hastings, 65, who piloted the plane; his daughter Amber Hill, 27; her husband, Jacob Hill, 25; and Hastings’ granddaughter, Madison Hastings Saxelby, 9.
All are welcome to attend to celebrate the lives of the family, said Jake Hastings, 30, son of Thomas Hastings.
“We’re putting together a video of memories, flying experiences and things like that,” said Jake Hastings on Tuesday.
An online GoFundMe account, under the name “Tom Hastings plane crash,” has raised more than $32,000 of its $100,000 goal in seven days.
The funds, set to be distributed to Tom Hastings widow Joyce, are to help pay for funeral and life expenses, according to the account.
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“A lot of people are coming that we haven’t been able to get in contact with,” Jake Hastings said. “We are taking this as an opportunity to get people updated and share different stories and things like that.”
Jake Hastings said he wants his father’s flying legacy — he helped to fly more than 1,000 kids — to live on.
“I want to help document and learn the ways my dad helped different people,” Jake Hastings said. “Even if he knew this was coming he wouldn’t change a thing. We want to put up those memories and share those experiences and keep those dreams alive.”
The plane was reported down shortly before 11 a.m. Feb. 11 at 30511 Briggs Road, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials previously said.
Federal Aviation Administration records described the airplane as an “experimental” 1999 Cirrus VK-30, registered to Thomas Hastings, and the aircraft had a valid flight status through April of 2019.
RELATED STORY: 3 adults, 1 child dead after plane goes down in Agua Dulce
No official information has been given on the cause, Jake Hastings said, but he believes a mechanical issue caused the crash because the propeller was not spinning when it hit the ground.
“If the propeller was spinning when the plane hit it would be shattered in a lot of pieces,” Jake Hastings said.
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