Overview:
Florida-based Christian ministry, Agape Flights, has confirmed this week that it is preparing to return to the United States the bodies of two American pilots killed in a Feb. 5 plane crash in the mountains near Haiti’s Jérémie. The small cargo aircraft was located a day after contact was lost. Still, the pilots’ remains were recovered several days later during search operations led by Haiti’s National Civil Aviation Office, with support from the local Rescue and Coordination Center and Hero Client Rescue— a U.S.-based nonprofit specializing in aviation rescue.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Agape Flights said this week it is preparing to return to the United States the bodies of two American pilots killed when one of its cargo aircraft crashed Feb. 5 in the mountains near Jérémie, in Haiti’s Grand’Anse Department.
The Florida-based Christian aviation ministry confirmed that the pilots’ remains were recovered several days after the crash of its Embraer 110 Bandeirante, tail number N316AF, following a loss of contact.
“At this time, the only update we have is that the bodies of the pilots have been recovered and we are working on returning them home as soon as possible,” Jacques May, communications director for Agape Flights, told The Haitian Times on Feb. 10.
The organization has since identified the pilots as Patrick Decker and Kory Elleby, but has not released additional details. As of Friday, the organization had not confirmed whether the bodies had been repatriated, as previously announced.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Agape Flights said Decker was the father of two adult children and had flown for United Airlines for 40 years before serving nine years as a volunteer pilot with the ministry, flying weekly cargo missions. Elleby, also a father of two, flew with Agape Flights for eight years.
“Both faithfully answered the call God placed on their lives and gave themselves fully to it,” the organization said. “Though their lives ended in tragedy, their faithfulness and obedience will continue to live long after this moment.”
L-R: Undated photo of pilots Kory Elleby and Patrick Decker. The two American pilots landed for a cargo delivery mission in Haiti. Photos via Gape Flights’ Facebook.
Agape Flights CEO Allen Speer confirmed the aircraft’s disappearance in a video message released Feb. 6, saying the organization did not expect either pilot to have survived.
Haiti’s government Joint Rescue and Coordination Center and Hero Client Rescue— an affiliate of U.S.-based nonprofit Hero Foundation specializing in aviation rescue—began search operations after receiving a distress alert and deployed two helicopters. The aircraft was located the following day in mountainous terrain between Jérémie and Les Cayes, under the direction of Haiti’s National Civil Aviation Office, known as OFNAC.
The plane’s wreckage was found in several pieces. Authorities have not released information about the cause of the crash nor the identity of the pilots killed.
Second aviation incident in three days amid ongoing flight disruptions
The crash follows the emergency landing of a Bolt Express plane on Feb. 3 during a flight from Port-au-Prince to Les Cayes. Bolt, a commercial charter flight based in Toledo, Ohio, said all six people aboard — passengers and crew — were unharmed.
Neither the authorities nor the airline has disclosed details about what prompted the emergency landing.
Aviation incidents are not uncommon in Haiti, where insecurity and deteriorating road conditions often make air travel a preferred option for travel between departments.
“At this time, the only update we have is that the bodies of the pilots have been recovered and we are working on returning them home as soon as possible.”
Jacques May, Communications Director of Agape Flights
In October 2024, a private plane operated by Sarah Express Airways crashed in southern Haiti, killing the pilot and co-pilot. In April 2022, a plane flying from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel crashed in Carrefour, killing all five people aboard and a motorcycle taxi driver on the ground.
Air travel to and from Haiti has faced major disruptions amid persistent gang violence.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned U.S. commercial flights to Port-au-Prince in November 2024 after multiple aircraft were struck by gunfire. The restriction, extended several times, remains in effect through March 7, 2026, citing continued security risks around the capital’s airport.
Agape Flights, based in Venice, Florida, was founded in 1980 to support Christian missionaries in the Caribbean. The organization transports cargo, mail, medical supplies and humanitarian aid to partners in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, particularly.
Its first flight to Haiti took place in November 1989, landing in Cap-Haïtien with emergency supplies for missionary families, according to the organization.
Authorities have not said when a final report on the crash may be released.
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