NTSB Says Mystery Still Surrounds Crash Of Missionary’s Plane
The cause of the Nov. 10 plane crash that killed a Christian evangelist and his daughter in Coral Springs, Florida, remains a mystery following the release of a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB’s report detailed the final moments of Alexander and Serena Wurm before their Beech King Air B100 took a nose dive into a Coral Springs pond shortly after takeoff. The pair had been en route to Jamaica to deliver aid to people affected by Hurricane Melissa.
According to the report, Alexander, who piloted the plane, stopped acknowledging air traffic control instructions as the craft inexplicably began to descend. After that, only “heavy breathing” and “grunting” sounds could be heard. Nearby security cameras confirmed the engines were running and there was no visible smoke or vapor that might indicate mechanical failure.
Other details suggested the cargo might have been a factor. Wurm allegedly did not weigh the cargo to ensure it fell below the 1,000-pound limit. However, the report noted “the pilot checked the weight documented on each box as the airplane was loaded, and he finished the loading process once he determined that capacity had been reached.” The report also noted the cargo had been “loaded unsecured throughout the cabin on passenger seats.”
Wurm had purchased and upgraded the plane — which he described on social media as “perfect” for transporting generators and building materials to Jamaica — in 2024.
“I’ve been a pilot since 2005 and I felt that the Ignite ministry should have a missions airplane if it wanted to effectively bless the Caribbean!’ Wurm wrote in the now-deleted Nov. 2 post quoted by multiple media outlets.
Wurm was the CEO of a Cayman Islands-based ministry called Ignite the Fire. A Dec. 5 statement from the Wurm family offered a glimpse into the nature of that ministry and the path forward.
“Many years ago, the Lord called our family to the Caribbean, giving Alex, the head of our family, a clear vision and deep compassion for these islands. This, however, was not a burden he carried alone; our family was united in this desire to see the Caribbean saved, and, as Alex would say, we know many others had also ‘caught the vision,’” the statement read. “We, as the Wurm family, do not feel that the call on our lives has changed, and we are committed to serving the Caribbean and continuing on Ignite the Fire in whatever capacity the Lord asks.”
Though Alexander and Serena lost their lives doing disaster relief, Ignite the Fire’s Facebook and archived website content indicates the ministry’s main focus has been evangelism, especially to youth, with an emphasis on spreading the Gospel on the Cayman Islands through special events and conferences.
A May 5 flyer, for example, promoted a two-week outreach, including school, beach, prison, halfway house and public space ministry. Other posts tout revival, evangelism training and uniting local churches in pursuit of the Great Commission.
To accomplish its mission, Ignite the Fire has partnered with groups like Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Jesus at the Door/The King’s Army, and Christ for all Nations (CfaN) Evangelism Alliance.
The latter group organized a GiveSendGo.com fundraiser for the Wurm family and Ignite the Fire after the fatal crash. The campaign has so far raised just over $1,000 of its $50,000 goal to “not only honor their memory” but also “help equip more young people to serve, lead, and spread the hope of Jesus across the Caribbean, continuing the work they gave their lives for.”
The Wurms’ home church, Cayman Islands Assembly of God, held a “Care Night” service in their honor, during which Lead Pastor Steven Da Silva and the Ignite the Fire executive team celebrated Alexander and Serena’s heart for missions.
“Alex really believed that God wanted to rebuild the Caribbean the way that Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem, stone by stone, life by life, island by island, country by country,” Da Silva said. “Alex went on to share several spheres of influence within the larger society that he really believed the Lord wanted him to transform: the families in Cayman, the faith in Cayman, the education and more. He dreamed of seeing each area ignited and renewed by the Holy Spirit.”
This article was originally published at MinistryWatch.
Tony Mator is a Pittsburgh journalist, copywriter, blogger and musician who has done work for World magazine, The Imaginative Conservative and the Hendersonville Times-News, among others. Follow his work and observations at twitter.com/wise_watcher.