JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Friends and family are mourning Saturday, the death of a University of North Florida student who died in a plane crash.
Maitland Harvey, 18 and her cousin, William Swiggart, 32, the pilot, died Thursday night.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the RV-4 took off from Jim Taylor Field at Ocala International Airport for Tallahassee on Thursday night.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane around 8 p.m. It was reported missing and found around 11 a.m. Friday, south of Interstate 10 in Madison County.
Many students found out about Harvey’s death on social media because of the winter break. It took a matter of minutes for people to start commenting, sharing and liking the pictures posted of Harvey.
"I am not able to write something that justifies just how beautiful Maitland Harvey was inside and out,” said Jean Marie Maierhoffer, a friend of Harvey’s. “One was lucky if they were able to experience her true beauty and passion in person."
Harvey was a sister of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
A message from the sorority was posted on Facebook stating, “Theta Sigma lost someone who was beautiful, both inside and out. Maitland Harvey was an awe-inspiring sister, in the purest form. Her positivity and joyful outlook will be greatly missed by her sisters daily. She may have left our lives but she will never leave our hearts.”