A survivor's family says a pilot actually gave his life to save dozens in Surprise.
Michael Fox and Josh Merrill loved having the plane keys to themselves and Saturday was no different.
Michael was getting certified to fly a C-35 when his family says there was a malfunction causing it to crash in a Surprise neighborhood.
“I was able to see the crash site for the first time today. So I could see what they tried to do,” said Steven Fox.
Steven is MIchael’s dad. He says Josh, the pilot of the aircraft, did everything he could to make sure no one got hurt.
“The idea was to hit the trees to slow themselves down and get rid of the fuel tanks,” said Fox.
But the plane hit a large tree and Josh took a sharp turn to avoid crashing into nearby condos.
“The way he could handle that plane and what he did was heroic,” said Fox.
The last 48-hours have been tough on Steven and his wife.
“It’s been hard. Loosing Josh, He was like a son. And not knowing if my son was going to make it."
But finally, Michael’s parents get some relief after being able to hear his son’s voice for the very first time. His father thankful for everything Josh did to save his life.
“If he didn’t do what he did, my son wouldn’t be here today,” said Fox.
The crash is still under investigation. It will be a few months before NTSP completes the investigation.
