Embry-Riddle professor and his father killed in Arizona plane crash

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Randy Lynch grew up flying places with his father Jay. 

The elder Lynch owned a small plane and flew his family all over the nation. 

When Jay and his wife moved to Florida to be nearer to Randy and his family, the plane stayed behind in California. 

They planned to retrieve it the weekend before Thanksgiving and fly it to Florida.

Randy's wife Terri says, "They flew to California and unfortunately their first leg ended in disaster."

Mogollon Airpark is a private fly-in community in Heber-Overgaard, Arizona. 

It is essentially an airstrip surrounded by homes about two and a half hours north of Phoenix. 

The Navajo County Sheriff's Office tells The News Station that Jay Lynch owned a hangar there. 

Terri Lynch says her husband and father-in-law were going to land and "check on" things.

The sheriff's office says that afternoon a homeowner came home and noticed damage to their house. 

When he checked the property, he found a plane upside down and crumpled. 

The Lynch's, both father and son, died in the crash.

Randy Lynch was a 28-year U.S. Navy veteran. 

He commanded the Navy R.O.T.C. unit at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach until 2016. 

Since then, he has taught classes as an adjunct professor.

He also worked at Fields BMW in Daytona Beach, not because he had to, but rather, because he wanted to do it. 

His wife says he loved BMW's and wanted to show others why they should as well.

"He loved people," she said. "He loved convincing people what was great about the car and why BMW was the best brand."

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash. 

The NTSB says a preliminary crash report detailing the circumstances, but not the cause, of the crash could be ready in 10 days.

Terry Lynch says the contents of that report are low on her priority list.

She says, "There's a million reasons why this could've happened and frankly, for me, it doesn't matter. It's not gonna bring my husband back."

Shortly after that, she paused, took a breath and said she wants everyone who hears about her family's loss to take something away from it.

"Please love your family every single day," she said. "Love your friends, because bad things happen and you don't want to be left wishing you'd said something."