Miss. Crash-Landing Fatally Injures Cadet Pilot

A Civil Air Patrol cadet died from serious injuries on July 6 when the CAP plane she was piloting crash-landed on the Ole Miss Golf Course in Oxford, Mississippi.

The accident occurred about 3:15 p.m. on the 17th hole, not far from the University-Oxford Airport where Cadet Master Sgt. Lake Little was headed as part of cadet flight training to receive her private pilot certificate. 

She was airlifted to a Memphis-area trauma center, where she passed away.

“Right now our focus is on Cadet Little's family and the members of her local squadron,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP national commander and CEO. “This is a tragic accident and we are praying for peace and comfort for everyone involved. We are working with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to determine what caused the crash.”

Little, 18, of Starkville joined CAP in August 2017 and had earned six promotions during her nearly two years of service -- the latest to cadet master sergeant in December. She was a member of the Mississippi Wing's Golden Triangle Composite Squadron, based in Caledonia.

She also enlisted in June in the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Squadron in Jackson, where she was going to be a C-17 loadmaster.

In addition to her CAP and Air National Guard pursuits, Little planned to attend the University of Southern Mississippi in the fall to study speech pathology and audiology.

The memorial service for Little will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church Outreach Center in Starkville. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. today and 9-11 a.m. Friday at the same venue.