HU Senior Receives Naval Contract After Surviving Plane Crash

By: Alvin H. Green IV

Ashton Burton, a Hampton Senior enrolled with Rick Aviation in Newport News, earned a naval contract for aviation after surviving a plane crash.

Nearly three years ago on October 6, 2022, a Cessna 172P Skyhawk was “substantially damaged when it impacted terrain on takeoff from the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport,” according to the Aviation Safety Network. An eyewitness at the scene saw the plane reach an unreasonably steep altitude of almost 200 feet straight up before “the left wing stalled and dropped.” 

The plane leveled out temporarily, but was unable to make a full recovery. Burton was a passenger in that flight.

Burton and the student pilot, Oluwagbohunmi Oyebode, were found in a drainage ditch surrounded by the wreckage. The pair was gravely injured, but both managed to survive. Young flight instructor and co-pilot Viktoria Theresie Izabelle Ljungman tragically died at the scene.

Even after such a devastating accident, Burton was still adamant on getting back into the cockpit. After recovering, he began working for LongBow/Fort Monroe as a Commercial Drone Operator. According to his Linkedin, he has been a close person of contact for the Hampton Police and Hampton University Security for almost three years, and has helped provide NASA with essential drone lifespan and performance knowledge.

After years of perseverance Burton was awarded with his naval aviation contract earlier this month on October 1. In an interview with WAVY10 News, Burton said that he still has a ways to go on his aviation journey, but he is prepared to “...walk the rest of that road with a smile on [his] face.” We were unfortunately unable to reach Burton for any further comment.