Massachusetts man who died in plane crash and had dreams of being an astronaut leaves behind pregnant wife

A Massachusetts man killed in a plane crash is being remembered.

According to authorities, on Thursday, a fatal plane crash occurred near Beverly Regional Airport in Beverly, Massachusetts, claiming the life of Geoffrey Andrews, a 30-year-old pilot from Melrose. Andrews was piloting a single-engine Mooney M20F aircraft when it crashed on Sam Fonzo Drive, an industrial park roadway, shortly after takeoff around 7:45 a.m. The plane, which was headed to Ticonderoga Municipal Airport in New York, was airborne for about a minute before the incident.

Andrews reported engine trouble to the control tower and attempted to return to the airport. Witnesses at the airport observed a puff of dark smoke emanating from the area near the landing gear or behind the engine, suggesting a possible engine failure. The aircraft made a gradual left-hand descending turn before crashing, coming to rest against a utility pole with significant damage. Debris was scattered across the street and into nearby trees. Andrews died on impact, while a second passenger, whose identity has not been disclosed, was critically injured and transported to Beverly Hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, and Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office are investigating. The Mooney M20F, a four-seat fixed-wing aircraft, was moved to a secure facility in western Massachusetts for further examination. An NTSB preliminary report is expected within two weeks.

Andrews, a staff scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and a doctoral graduate of Purdue University, was a passionate aviator with dreams of becoming an astronaut. Certified as a commercial pilot in 2019, he had experience as a ferry pilot, flew aerobatics, volunteered as a glider pilot, and was working toward his flight instructor certification. His family described him as a “charismatic, beautiful soul” who loved cooking, baking, scuba diving, photography, and music, often playing piano and singing in choirs with his wife, Gentry. Gentry is six months pregnant with their first child due in October. The family, devastated by his loss—compounded by Gentry’s recent loss of her mother—has launched a GoFundMe to support her, raising over $47,000 of a $60,000 goal as of Sunday.

The family expressed trust in the ongoing investigation and extended prayers for the injured passenger. No further details on the passenger’s condition or the crash’s cause have been released.