Tragedy Strikes Texas A&M Community: Two Separate Plane Crashes Claim Lives of Students and Alumni

The Texas A&M University community has faced profound sorrow following two separate plane crashes that claimed the lives of students and alumni.

On August 30, 2020, a Piper PA-24-250 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Coulter Airfield in Bryan, Texas. The crash resulted in the deaths of 21-year-old Victoria Walker, a senior management major at Texas A&M, and her parents, David and Tamara Walker. Victoria was recognized as a Terry Scholar and was beginning her final year at the university. Luke Armstrong, Victoria’s boyfriend and a fellow Texas A&M student, survived the crash but sustained critical injuries. He underwent extensive rehabilitation and, demonstrating remarkable resilience, returned to complete his degree in construction science

Nearly two decades earlier, on September 18, 1999, another tragedy unfolded near Coulter Field. A Cessna 182A aircraft operated by Ags Over Texas, a skydiving company, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of five individuals. Among the victims were Robert Puryear, a senior at Texas A&M and the pilot of the aircraft, and Sarah Miller, a freshman at the university. The crash was attributed to a stall caused by the aircraft’s nose being too high during ascent, leading to a loss of control citeturn0search0.

These tragedies have left an indelible mark on the Texas A&M community. Memorial services, including the university’s solemn Silver Taps ceremony, have been held to honor the memories of those lost. The resilience and unity demonstrated by students, faculty, and alumni in the aftermath of these events reflect the enduring spirit of the Aggie family.