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HEARTBREAKING footage has emerged showing a toddler playing around a small plane just days before it crashed and killed the entire family.
Pilot Brandon LeRoy, his wife Jestene and their two-year-old baby Paxton tragically died after a small private plane nosedived into an Idaho home.
Emergency responders revealed that all members of the family suffered “multiple blunt force injuries” after the Mooney M20 plane plunged.
While the mum and dad were pronounced dead at the scene, the toddler was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
He succumbed to his wounds soon after.
A video showing Paxton playing around the plane just three days before the crash has now gone viral.
The clip, posted by mum Jestene, shows the toddler riding a tricycle around the doomed plane, which appears to be parked inside a hangar.
Jestene wrote in the captions: “Imagine growing up riding your bike around your dad’s plane before your dad flies you and your mom wherever you want.”
Data from FlightAware shows that the plane travelled between McMinnville, Oregon, Fresno, California, and Nampa, Idaho one week before the crash.
The family’s loved ones called the loss “immeasurable”, saying, “to say we miss them doesn’t come close.”
Jeremiah LeRoy, Brandon’s cousin, told KTVB in a statement: “Together, they were building a life marked by love, purpose, and promise.
“Though their time here was far too short, their legacy is everlasting — a legacy of love, courage, joy, and selfless service.
“A sacred reminder to live each day with purpose, with gratitude, and with unwavering faith.”
Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said: “My heart grieves for those who tragically lost their life. Our thoughts and prayers are with their extended family during this difficult time.”
In June, another Mooney M20 aircraft crashed and left one person dead and another critically injured near Boston.
Two men were inside the aircraft that crashed on Sam Fonzo Drive, just outside the Beverly Regional Airport, according to the Beverly police and fire departments.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was airlifted to a hospital, authorities said.
The names of the pilot and passenger have not been made public.
No one on the ground was injured.
The reported fixed-wing aircraft with four seats appeared to be badly damaged – and was resting against a utility pole.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said: “The preliminary information we have is the plane crashed under unknown circumstances.”
It added: “Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft.
“The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation.”
US on edge over ‘cluster’ of plane crashes
A series of devastating plane crashes, including the mid-air collision above DC that killed 67, has left Americans terrified of traveling by air.
However, aviation expert and attorney Jason Matzus told The U.S. Sun the crashes can be attributed to “random clustering.”
“While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply ‘random clustering,’ which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period, warping our general perception and causing us to think that there is an increasing trend in plane crashes,” Matzus said.
“When in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue.”
The short period Matzus referred to was just a matter of three weeks. The aviation mishaps included:
January 29 – A military helicopter and American Airlines plane collided at the Washington DC airport, killing 67 people
January 31 – An air ambulance carrying a 6-year-old girl and her mom crashed on a street in Philadelphia, killing seven people in total
February 5 – A Japan Airlines flight hit a parked Delta plane at Seattle SeaTac Airport and no one was injured
February 6 – A small commuter plane on its way to Nome, Alaska, crashed killing all 10 people on board
February 10 – Motley Crue singer Vince Neil’s private jet collided with another plane, killing the pilot and injuring four others
February 17 – A Delta plane crashed on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport, miraculously killing no one but injuring 21
February 19 – Two planes collided at Marana Airport in Arizona, killing two people
February 24 – Smoke filled a Delta Airlines flight cabin forcing passengers to evacuate by a slide after making an emergency landing in Atlanta
March 9 – A Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft crashed into a retirement village parking lot in Manheim, Pennsylvania
March 13 – An American Airlines jet engine erupted into flames at the Denver airport, forcing passengers to escape onto the plane’s wing
