A member of the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team was one of four people killed Saturday in a small plane crash in Swainsboro, Georgia, officials said.
Staff Sgt. Aliaksandr “Alex” Bahrytsevich, 31, most recently served as a demonstrator on the Golden Knights Black Demonstration Team, the team announced on its Facebook page.
“Alex was extremely passionate about the sport of skydiving and always sought opportunities to coach and mentor other members of the team,” the Golden Knights said in the Facebook post. “Originally from Belarus, Alex served the U.S. Army with distinction and pride.”
In all, four people were killed and another was seriously injured when the small plane crashed after takeoff at the East Georgia Regional Airport, the Associated Press reported.
Bahrytsevich was off duty at the time of the crash.
The names of the others killed in the crash have not been released.
Officials said the plane was owned by The Jumping Place Skydiving Center in Georgia, according to AP.
Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.
