The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified

Niagara officials say the pilot who died after a group of skydivers she was flying jumped near the falls was 26-year-old Melanie Georger of Towanda, New York. She was the sole occupant of the plane when it crashed Saturday. In a statement on Facebook, Georger's father said “She was doing what she loved, flying for a local skydiving company” and working toward becoming a commercial pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of the single-engine Cessna. It plunged to the ground near Youngstown, less than 15 miles from Niagara Falls.