During one of his last training runs, local pilot Zach Rainey, 47 and 3 others were killed in a tragic runway incident. A recent interview with his family revealed Zach’s passion for flying and his family.

Donald Stuart Goldberg, 82, of Las Vegas, and Carol Ann Scanlon, 76, also from Las Vegas both died from blunt trauma, according to the coroner. Goldberg was the pilot and Scanlon was a passenger aboard the Piper PA-46. Zach was accompanied by his flight instructor, whose name as yet not identified.

We were able to speak with his family members who were on the scene on Tuesday leaving flowers and a hat as a memorial to their brother. “Zach really loved flying, said his brother”. According to his brother, Zach’s passion for flying crossed over into other aspects of his life. He would use aeronautical weather apps and anything associated with flying in his daily life.

According to his family members, the investigation into the cause of the accident will take possibly a year for the NTSB to determine the cause of the fatal crash. A family member believed both planes had been given clearance to do a land side by side at the North Las Vegas Airport, a common clearance given by airport control. In this case one of the planes crossed over into the path of the other plane. The result was catastrophic. Both planes were destroyed and all of the passengers, 4 in total were killed.

As Livin in Vegas Magazine spoke to family members on the scene, the remark was made, “At least he died doing something he loved.” One of the family members agreed and said, That was the motto by which Zack lived by, “If I’m gonna go, I’d rather do it flying.”