U.S. Businessman, Wife Killed In Plane Crash After Final Four Trip

A U.S. businessman and his wife were identified as victims of a plane crash following a trip to the Final Four.

Chris Sheaf and his wife Jacque took a trip to Indianapolis to watch Arizona play Michigan in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals. On their return trip home, the plane crashed. The small jet crashed as it was about to land at an Arizona airport.

Sheaf and his wife were pronounced dead on the scene.

The plane crashed on its approach to Runway 21 at Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Ariz., on Wednesday, April 8, at about 5:09 p.m. local time, according to authorities.

The victims were not initially identified.

"Preliminary information indicates that two individuals aboard the aircraft have been confirmed dead and have not been identified," the Marana Police Department stated in a Wednesday news release.  "No additional injuries have been reported. No other aircraft were involved in the incident."

Chris Sheaf worked as a treasurer for Rio Nuevo, a finance organization. Fletcher McCusker, board chairman of Rio Nuevo, spoke out after the crash.

"He loved life, he loved Jacque (a pure joy to be around), he cherished his time with Rio Nuevo and he loved to fly," McCusker said. "As fellow pilots, we often talked about our love of flying and the fact that the sky is unforgiving."

Tributes pour in for the Arizona couple

Arizona Congressman Juan Ciscomani released a statement on the crash.

"Chris was a dear friend – a wise and thoughtful man who generously shared his time with the people and causes he believed in," Ciscomani said in a statement. "Chris devoted decades to making the American Dream a reality as a homebuilder and was a driving force in shaping Tucson's hospitality industry as a partner in the company that constructed the Loews Ventana Canyon Hotel."

"His work with organizations like Rio Nuevo, the Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association and the Tucson International Airport Authority was an expression of just how passionately he cared about the community he called home for the past 50 years. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sheafe family. We grieve with you at this terrible loss."

An investigation into the crash is underway.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 10:12 AM.