Mesa Community in Mourning after Local Family Patriarch Ray Longhi Perishes in Tragic Plane Collision

A tragic accident has shaken the Mesa community as a local family mourns the loss of a beloved father and grandfather, Ray Longhi, killed in a plane crash. Longhi, 67, was driving near Falcon Field when his car was struck by a plane that careened off the runway, leaving behind a wife, two children, and a 1-year-old grandson. In a statement obtained by

ABC15

, his daughter, Lorraine Longhi, shared her grief and fond memories of a man who lived his life with enthusiasm and love.

The crash also claimed the lives of four others aboard the Honda jet which investigators say, sped off the runway before colliding with Longhi’s vehicle, according to Lorraine Longhi in her candid recount of the events leading up to her father’s untimely death, as reported by

AZCentral

. Longhi, a larger-than-life character and adopted son from a New York family, had found his way into the sky’s adjacency—his love for aircraft leading him to a Boeing job and a home near the airport.

Lorraine Longhi, who shared how her father’s adoption experience fostered a connection to Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, emphasized Ray Longhi’s charitable side and his frequent donations there. The family now asks for donations in his memory to the same institution. “It would just mean everything to him,” Lorraine told

ABC15

.

While an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is ongoing to determine the cause of the crash, the preliminary report cites “unknown circumstances” as the basis, as per

AZCentral

. Meanwhile, the family attempts to navigate the heartbreak and confusion left in the wake of this tragedy, holding onto Longhi’s memory with both love and sorrow, seeking solace in how much he loved and was loved in return.

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