The FAA says Tommy Jacomini and his family left Steamboat Springs in a single engine Cessna 182 during some bad weather Friday destined for Sugar Land, but controllers lost contact with the plane. So they started searching an area in Summit County, Colorado. That's where a hiker stumbled upon the wreckage.
"It's a tragedy of epic proportions," said family friend David Randall.
Friends of Tommy and Susie Jacomini say the couple and their two young children epitomized the picture perfect family.
"Wonderful people," said Randall. "A zest for life, a love for flying and a strong family."
From the River Oaks area home where family and friends gathered to grieve, Randall, a longtime family friend, didn't know where to begin.
"It really doesn't require any stretch of the imagination to articulate how great they were," he said.
When family members reported them missing Saturday morning, the search was on. Members of Texas Equusearch planned on joining that search, but cancelled their trip early Sunday afternoon. A hiker found the wreckage. There were no survivors.
"After 926 of these, you still don't learn how to prepare yourself for these types of endings," said Tim Miller with Equusearch. "It's a very, very sad day."
It doesn't even begin to describe how those who knew this loving family of four are feeling.
"I just think everyone is looking for a shoulder to lean on and the only thing that seems to help is support from friends," said Randall.
Support is making all the difference in the world as family and friends reflect.
"I hope they are in a better place," said Randall. "It sounds like it was something that was fairly quick and they were all together."
Friends of the Jacominis tell us Tommy was an experienced pilot. He even took acrobatic training classes. They say he was full trained to fly from instruments. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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