VETERAN AVIATOR

Veteran Pilot in Cessna Crash Described by Colleagues as ‘Mr. Safety’

Jeff Hefner spent more than 25 years flying for Southwest Airlines.

The pilot of a Cessna that led Pentagon jets on a wild chase over the skies of Washington, D.C. Sunday—before crashing into the Virginia wilderness, killing everyone on board—was a safety-conscious veteran aviator who had spent more than 25 years flying for Southwest Airlines, according to a report. Those who knew Jeff Hefner described him as “Mr. Safety,” according to an attorney who hired Hefner and spoke with The Washington Post. “When it came to flying, he was always super serious, super cautious and very focused,” Florida attorney Dan Newlin told the newspaper. “He knew aviation inside and out. It was his passion.” Hefner reportedly passed out due to a likely loss in cabin pressure before the crash, which killed everyone on board the flight.