RALEIGH, N.C. — A 24-year-old Coast Guard officer from North Carolina died Friday when her plane crashed during a "routine training flight," according to the U.S. Navy.
Coast Guard Ensign Morgan Garrett, of Weddington, was one of two crew members on the flight.
Garrett was flying with her instructor — 30-year-old Lt. Rhiannon Ross, a pilot in the U.S. Navy — when their plane went down in a residential neighborhood in southern Alabama, officials said Sunday in a news release. Ross, from Michigan, was also killed.
"Their spirit, friendship and devotion to their country will not be forgotten," the release states.
Garrett and Ross were flying a T-6B Texan II trainer aircraft, a tandem plane with seats for an instructor and student that's primarily used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots, according to the Navy. The flight took off from a Navy base in Milton, Florida, just northeast of Pensacola.
They crashed southeast of Mobile in Foley, Alabama, about 45 miles from the base, at around 5 p.m. Central Time, officials said.
In a tweet Friday evening, the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said deputies and firefighters had responded to the scene of a plane crash in the Magnolia Springs area, near Magnolia Elementary School.
Foley Fire Chief Joey Darby told local media a house and multiple cars caught fire but firefighters were able to quickly put out the flames, CBS News reported. The sheriff's office said in a subsequent tweet that no civilians were injured and the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy were handling the investigation.
It wasn't immediately clear Monday what led to the crash, and the Navy is still investigating, according to the news release.
Garrett was a 2015 graduate of Weddington High School in Matthews, 30 minutes south of Charlotte, WBTV reported.
"Weddington High School mourns the loss of our 2015 graduate, Morgan Garrett, who died while serving our nation," Union County Public Schools said in a statement, according to the TV station. "Morgan was a leader in the classroom, on the athletic fields and in our local community. Her leadership, commitment to excellence and infectious smile left a lasting impression on our school community. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time."
Garrett went on to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut, where she ran track and field and studied Marine and Environmental Sciences before graduating in 2019, the academy said in a statement on Facebook.
"She left an indelible mark on her classmates and the entire community, and she will be sorely missed by all," the post states. "Rest in peace, shipmate. We have the watch."
