The couple killed in a plane crash on Detroit’s east side on Sunday were flying here to see a family member compete in a national volleyball tournament, according to postings on social media.
The single-engine Cessna crashed Sunday in a Detroit neighborhood, killing pilot Greg Boaz and his wife, Julie, of Kemah, Texas. Greg Boaz's son, 17-year-old Peyton, stumbled out of the wreckage with injuries and remains in critical condition, according to family members on social media.
The three were traveling to Detroit to watch Greg Boaz's daughter Krysta compete in the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship at Cobo Center.
Krysta Boaz's biological mother was reportedly already in Detroit when the plane went down in the 3500 block of Milton Avenue, not far from Coleman A. Young International Airport.
Texas local news reports indicate that Greg Boaz was a prominent business owner — he founded the Palapa Bar in Kemah and the Lone Star Grill in nearby Bacliff.
Krysta Boaz posted pictures of Julie and Greg on Instagram Tuesday. She wrote in the post that on "June 24, heaven gained two new Angels." She added, "there’s not a second i’ve stopped thinking about either of you. rest in peace."
Condolences were quick to pour in from Detroit and Texas alike. USA Volleyball said in a statement that it “sends its deepest condolences to USAV member Krysta Boaz and her family and friends.” The organization promised to hold a moment of silence for the Boaz family ahead of Wednesday’s Girls’ Junior Nationals competition.
Boaz’s two businesses both said on Facebook that they would remain open in the coming days. “The business and the legend will go on, because that's what Greg would want,” the Palapa Bar wrote.
The Absolute Volleyball Academy of Texas, which ran Krysta Boaz's volleyball team, wrote on a public Facebook post that “Our thoughts and prayers are with Krysta Boaz (14Rox) and the entire Boaz family during this difficult time.”
The Academy added, “We will have information later this week on how we can all help the family. Father please reach down and surround this family with supernatural peace and strength and give them the faith to believe that all things are possible for YOU — AMEN.”
A post shared by Krysta🌸🤩🥑🦋 (@krystaboaz) on
Meanwhile, a friend of Peyton Boaz’s has started an online fundraiser to help cover his medical bills. Sophie Nilssen, who described Peyton as “my best friend for almost 10 years,” wrote on Tuesday that Peyton was “off the ventilator and vitals are still good.” He is slated for surgery Wednesday, according to Nilssen. The fundraiser has raised $2,820 of its $5,000 goal.
It remains unclear exactly why the Cessna 210, which federal records say was registered to Greg Boaz, crashed on Sunday. An aviation investigator told the Free Press on Monday that the pilot reported an “anomaly” with the landing gear in addition to a fuel emergency before the crash.
After receiving the report that one of the plane’s three landing gears was not extended or only partially extended, the control tower instructed the pilot to fly by. The controller then confirmed that not all three landing gears were extended, according to National Transportation Safety Board investigator Andrew Todd Fox.
The control tower asked the pilot to circle the airport to troubleshoot the problem. A short time later, the pilot reported the low fuel and then crashed.
According to an NTSB spokesperson, preliminary reports are usually issued a week to 10 days after an accident, but final reports can take more than a year to be released.
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