Who is Alfredo Diez? Pilot, Wife and Son Dead in Hot Springs, Va Plane Crash

Alfredo Diez was an American pilot and flight instructor who died in a stunning plane crash near Hot Springs, Virginia.

Diez, his wife Kenya and son, Nicolas, aged 3, all died in the crash- alongside two other people.

A twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 went down amid trees along an airport road in Hot Springs on Sunday, March 10th 2024.

The aircraft was flying from South Florida to Bath County, Virginia.

The crash stunned the world, especially after it was revealed a child was on board and also died.

The victims have now been identified and we learn more about Alfredo Diez and his family in this article.

Who was Alfredo Diez?

Alfredo Diez was an American pilot and flight instructor who died, alongside his wife, 3-year-old son and two others, in a plane crash in Bath County, Virginia.

A small private jet, an IAI Astra 1125, that departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tragically crashed in Hot Springs, Virginia.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the plane was short on its approach to the airport’s runway.

The aircraft struck trees, crashed into a hillside, and subsequently caught fire, resulting in the loss of all five people aboard.

The victims included the pilot, co-pilot, a man, a woman, and a young boy.

Their remains were initially sent to the Virginia Office of the Medical Examiner for identification whilst an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was kicked off to determine the cause of the accident.

The deceased were later identified as Alfredo Diez, a pilot and flight instructor from South Florida.

The others included his wife and young son and two others.

So who was Alfredo Diez? He was the CEO of Atlantis Aviation Group, a company under which he operated a flight school and a charter jet company – Atlantis Flight Academy out of Pembroke Pines and Sky Jet Elite out of Fort Lauderdale, both in Florida in the United States of America, respectively.

Diez was educated at Francisco Aguiar in Spain where he received his Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in 19998.

He continued to Aeroflota del Noroeste, a flight school located in A Coruña, Spain, where he received his commercial aviation pilot license in 2010.

Diez relocated to the United States where he worked with Pelican Flight Training and Ns Aviation, both as a Flight Instructor.

In 2013, he founded his own company, Atlantis Aviation, under which he would operate his two companies.

According to the Alfredo Diez LinkedIn page: “Global Atlantis Services Corporation is a company based in Miramar, Florida dedicated in education, training and consultancy in the field of aviation.

“Our goal is to provide students the best training to make the process easy and their time in the USA as pleasant as possible. As we are partners with many flight schools in the USA, we can select the best one that covers your needs and expectations.

“We have accomodation and transportation, as well as daily contact with the student to assist him/her on questions or difficulties he/she may have, both personally and academically. Our company is made up by professionals in the Aviation’s World,” it concludes.

According to WSVN.com, his Flight School at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines and his charter jet company were both closed in his honor on Monday.

Neighbors who spoke to Wsls.com were mournful of the news.

“Every time we passed by, we’d see them and say hello. I am very in shock. I just I don’t know,” neighbor Angela Pereyra said.

“They have a little girl and they always like, nice family, you know?” said Pereyra.

The crash

A small private jet crashed in woods and burned Sunday afternoon near a small airport in rural Virginia, killing all five people aboard.

The twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 went down amid trees along an airport road in Hot Springs, a community in the shadow of the Allegheny Mountains, killing the pilot and three other adults along with a child, Virginia State Police said in a statement.

Police and other emergency responders converged on the site in Bath County after the crash occurred about 3 p.m.

A state police spokesman told The Associated Press that the plane caught fire on impact.

“Small crash site, everything is burnt, meaning the tail numbers are unidentifiable,” Sgt. Rick Garletts said, adding state police were working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to try to identify the flight details and the occupants.

An FAA statement gave no preliminary information on the circumstances of the crash and said that the agency and the NTSB will investigate.

Hot Springs is located about 165 miles (265 kilometers) west of the Virginia capital city, Richmond.

Tributes

Numerous tributes poured in for Alfredo Diez on Facebook.

“Alfredo Díez Seoane, native of Betanzos, owner of Atlantis Aviation, passed away this Sunday along with his wife Kenya and his three-year-old son Nicolas,” UDJ Almeira wrote on Facebook.

“Last June our cadet team embarked on an incredible journey together with the crown entrepreneur José Manuel Brandariz and the Association Galegos Forever, where Alfredo shared his knowledge, experiences and showed us Miami from the air.

“Alfredo shared several days with us, he was very close, attentive and showed us that with effort and work anything is possible. We want to remember him as what he was, a dreamer, an attentive person, kind and willing to help,” they concluded.

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our Brother Alfredo Diez, wife, and son. His absence leaves a void in our lodge, but his memory will forever be part of our square and compasses. Alas my brother,” another tribute from Eddie Carranza read.

“Today is one of the saddest days of my life. Got a phone call that I never expected… A week ago we laughed as we had dinner and you inspired and encouraged us to move forward.. Today we regret your departure. 😞🙏🏻” Miguel SG wrote.

“You were the first to trust us, to give us the opportunity in a new country, get involved in your Atlantis family and make us feel part of all your purpose. You gave us your continued help to achieve our goal..

“Thank you for giving me the strength to believe in me like I never have. You leave a huge legacy Alfredo. I admire you dear mentor and friend.

“You have been a huge gift in our lives and we will never forget you. Now it’s time to follow your steps.

“RIP Alfredo, Kseniia and Nicholas. 🙏🏻”

Naples Plane Crash

The crash involving Alfredo Diez harks back to a recent similar crash in Naples, Florida.

In the Naples, Florida plane crash, a small jet crashed onto Interstate 75 (I-75) near Naples, Florida.

The 68-foot-long Bombardier Challenger 600 had five people on board when it took off from Ohio State University’s airport on its way to the Naples Airport.

It was scheduled for a subsequent departure to Fort Lauderdale.

The plane was filled with two pilots, two passengers, a crew member, and 350 gallons of fuel.

Roughly six miles out of its destination at the Naples Airport, both engines – first left, then right – sent warning signals to the plane. They were out of engine oil in both. A third signal warned there was a problem with the engine.

A fourth and final signal lit up in red: engine oil.
Twenty seconds later, the pilots radioed air traffic control: “We have ‘lost both engines… emergency… making an emergency landing.’”

The tower controller acknowledged the call and cleared the airplane to land.

The crew replied, “We are cleared to land but we are not going to make the runway… ah… we have lost both engines.”
Instead, they aimed for the southbound side of Interstate 75.

According to FlightAware’s flight tracker, the jet plunged from 1,800 feet to the ground in just one minute. By just 900 feet above ground, the plane was traveling at a speed of 115 knots (roughly 130 miles an hour).

The plane touched down on the pavement with its landing gear in the center lane and the right lane, then continued off the pavement onto the shoulder of the road.

It collided with the western concrete sound barrier and exploded into flames almost instantly.

Dashcam footage captured the final descent, landing, and crash.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and the NTSB is examining the fuel and engines closely.

Both engines have been retained for additional examination, along with the fuel injectors and fuel samples.

Hot Springs

Hot Springs is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bath County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 738.

It is located about 5 miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Warm Springs on U.S. Route 220.

Hot Springs has several historic resorts, for the springs helped develop Bath County.

Since at least the mid 18th century, travelers came to use the springs. Thomas Bullitt built the first inn to accommodate them in 1766 and Dr. Thomas Goode later expanded it.

The most prominent modern resort, The Homestead, traces its origin to this inn. Mustoe House, The Yard, Barton Lodge, Switchback School, and Garth Newel are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hot Springs was once the terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad’s Hot Springs Branch, which extended from Covington in Alleghany County to Hot Springs in large part passenger service to serve the resort in Hot Springs, though other customers were served, including lumber companies.

There was a turntable in Hot Springs that reversed the train for the return trip back.

The C&O once considered extending the line into West Virginia to serve the logging industry, but decided to build its Greenbrier Division in West Virginia instead.

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