Two licensed pilots with families identified as the men killed in Broward plane crash
Two men with families — a Miramar father and a West Miami-Dade sibling to Mexican mayors — were killed in Friday’s plane crash in South Broward.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office on Monday officially released the identities of Nissan Giat, 53, and Joaquin Ricalde, 56. Each was a licensed pilot.
Ricalde’s name had been all over Mexican media since Friday because he’s a brother of Julián Ricalde Magaña, who had been municipal president (the parallel to mayor) of Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo. A sister, Alicia Ricalde, held the same position on Isla Mujeres, a small island off the Yucatán Peninsula. Ricalde, along with his wife, lived in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Various databases and social media say Giat, a father of two, is a certified flight instructor. His wife is also a certified pilot. He has been involved in several aviation-oriented businesses over the years, including Conquest Air, which owned the twin-engine 1969 Aero Commander 500 S.
On its way from Pompano Beach Air Park to Opa-locka Airport, the plane suffered a problem. Witnesses said it descended, hit the top of a storage building and crashed into the parking lot.
This is the third small plane to crash in Broward County since May.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
