The youth minister of Alexander Medina's church in Newnan recalled the young man Saturday as a dedicated and inspiring young man.
"He was a very strong witness to the youth in our town," Brenda Clifton of First Baptist Church of Newnan said of Medina, who everyone called Sasha.
"He was very happy, quite a blessing, an inspiration to all of us," she said.
Medina, 18, died Friday when a single-engine aircraft piloted by Fulton County Juvenile Court Judge Sanford Jones crashed in an east Alabama hay field.
Jones also died in the crash of the Beechcraft B.E. 36 Bonanza. Two teenage passengers, both high school friends of Medina, were injured.
Sarah Conklin, 19, and Joshua Rumohr, 18, both of Newnan, walked away from the crash and are recovering from their injuries. Rumohr sustained gashes on his head and Conklin has a bruise on her lung, according to their parents. The pair, who have dated for over a year, are expected to make a full recovery.
The young adults were all part of the church's youth ministry group, Clifton said.
The plane was returning to Newnan-Coweta County Airport from Destin, Fla., where Jones picked up his passengers.
Julie Campbell, Conklin's mother, said the three friends left Newnan around 3 a.m. Friday and drove to Destin. Medina had been asked to drive a car to Florida to be used by some ladies on vacation, according to Campbell, and he asked Conklin and Rumohr to come along.
They spent an hour at the beach before heading to the airport to board Jones' plane.
"It was meant to be a very short, fun day," Campbell said, "They were all very excited."
About an hour into the flight, Jones began to have engine problems, Conklin told WSB-TV. Jones tried to solve the problem before radioing for help and attempting an emergency landing.
Conklin said Jones remained calm. She called him a hero.
"Every day I live I will remember him because he did everything he could to protect us and put us before himself," Conklin said of Jones.
The National Transportation Safety Board is handling the crash investigation.
A 2008 graduate of Newnan High School, Medina was attending the University of West Georgia.
He had been scheduled to leave this weekend for Arizona, where he and others planned to spend a week on a reservation with other young adults working with Native Americans.
"He was a full of life, quirky kid," Campbell said Saturday. "He was the first to the party and the last to leave."
Dozens of friends had written tributes to Medina on his Facebook page by Saturday afternoon. One person, Costel Emeott, created a video montage of photos of Medina.
Clifton said church members prayed for the families and offered their support. Rumohr and Conklin are planning to attend church services on Sunday.
"They want to honor Sasha," Campbell said. "And let those who knew the pilot know what a hero he is."
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