Female Virginia flight instructor, 23, is killed in plane crash caused by student, 18

A young Swedish flight instructor was killed after an 18 year-old student pointed the nose of a small aircraft too high during a lesson, causing it to stall and crash.  

Viktoria Theresie Izabelle Ljungman, 23, attended Virginia‘s Hampton University on a tennis scholarship, eventually becoming a flight instructor. 

On Thursday at around 3 p.m., she and Oluwagbohunmi Ayomide Oyebode, 18, got into a plane for a lesson.

But tragedy struck when Oyebode pointed the nose up at too steep an angle during take-off.

That caused the engine to stall and the plane to crash into a ditch, according to WMAR.

Ljungman, now a licensed commercial pilot who lived in Williamsburg, Virginia after graduation, was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash.   

Oyebode, a Maryland native, and another 18-year-old male were the only other people on the plane. They’ve been taken to a local hospital with what’s described as life-threatening injuries.  

Viktoria Theresie Izabelle Ljungman, 23, attended Virginia’s Hampton University on a tennis scholarship, eventually becoming a flight instructor

On Thursday at around 3 p.m., she and Oluwagbohunmi Ayomide Oyebode, 18, got into a plane that pulled to a steep angle which caused the engine to stall and the plane to crash into a ditch

Ljungman, now a licensed commercial pilot who lived in Williamsburg, Virginia after graduation, was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash

According to HBCU Gameday, both of the injured young men are current students at Hampton and were taking an aviation class.

The school has a partnership with a local fight school based out of Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport which Ljungman is an instructor for. 

She often documented her journey via an Instagram account. 

Charlie Hudson, who played on the men’s team while Ljungman was on the women’s team, called her ‘family’ and said being a commercial pilot was ‘all she ever wanted to do.’ 

Hudson said that there used to be a running joke that Ljungman would be the personal pilot of the first member of the team to ‘make it big.’ 

Charlie Hudson, who played on the men’s team while Ljungman was on the women’s team, called her ‘family’ and said being a commercial pilot was ‘all she ever wanted to do’

Hudson said that there used to be a running joke that Ljungman would be the personal pilot of the first member of the team to ‘make it big’

Myana Mabry, a roommate, told WAVY, ‘We were two roommates with two completely different cultures- but we complimented each other so well. We were each others’ teachers’

She added, ‘She was truly someone you only meet once. And I will love her until the day after forever’

He added that ‘I don’t remember her ever not smiling. She was just contagious in her energy, just lovely to be around.’

Myana Mabry, a roommate, told WAVY, ‘We were two roommates with two completely different cultures- but we complimented each other so well. We were each others’ teachers- she taught me so much about her Swedish heritage and even invited me to visit Sweden on day! I taught her about my African American heritage which led to many conversations between us because Viktoria was just so curious and just overall respectful.’

She added, ‘She was truly someone you only meet once. And I will love her until the day after forever.’

Ljungman has gotten her license to teach in April of this year after getting her commercial license in March of 2021, according to the Daily Press.  

The university released a statement that only commented on the two young men, saying: ‘Hampton University is aware of the unfortunate accident that occurred today involving two of our students. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation. Out of respect for the students and their families we have no further comment at this time.’

Authorities are still investigating the crash.