Family killed in Virginia plane crash had ties to soccer club in Spain, friends say

Friends have identified the South Florida family of three who tragically died in a plane crash in rural Virginia on Sunday. They are Alfredo Díez Seoane, his wife Kenya, and their 3-year-old son Nicolas, according to UDJ Almeiras, a soccer club in Spain where Díez Seoane hails from.

"We want to remember him as what he was, a dreamer, an attentive person, kind and willing to help," the club wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post on Monday.

The West Broward Freemasons Lodge #253, where Díez Seoane was a member, also confirmed his passing in a Facebook post, expressing deep sorrow at the loss.

Díez Seoane, originally from Betanzos, a town in northwestern Spain, owned Atlantis Aviation, a Pembroke Pines flight school, and Sky Jet Elite, a private jet charter company in Fort Lauderdale.

The tragic crash involving the twin-engine Israel Aircraft Industries 1125 Westwind Astra is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Virginia State Police.

According to Peter Knudson, an NTSB spokesman, the jet took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and crashed near Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, Virginia. The plane was reportedly on its approach to the runway when it encountered difficulties, leading to the fatal crash that claimed the lives of all five occupants onboard, including the pilot, co-pilot, and three passengers.

The passengers were en route to an event at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, as confirmed by Sgt. Richard Garletts, a Virginia State Police spokesman. The plane's attorney, representing the family friend who owned the aircraft, provided this information to the police.

The crash resulted in a devastating explosion upon impact, with no survivors found at the scene. Garletts described the sequence of events, stating that the plane fell short during its approach, struck trees, and then collided with a hillside.