Candlelight vigil held for plane crash victim - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

Students and faculty members at Columbia High school held a candle light vigil Saturday night in honor of 17-year-old Christian Schmitt. The senior, along with 74-year-old George Gilbert Meyers in a plane crash last Sunday at Moontown Airport.

Many held onto each other and wiped the tears from their eyes as they sang, said prayers and spoke about the teen. Briana Cummings read a letter to the crowd about her friend. She said Chris loved to make people smile.

"Just a very dedicated student, always willing to help, always walking around with a smile," said Cummings.

The two met in seventh grade. They went to middle and high school together, joined the ROTC and were neighbors. Cummings said Chris loved to talk about learning how to fly.

"Flying was definitely his number one thing, he was so excited about the lessons and I remember he would come into the ROTC meetings and said oh my gosh, I did this in my lesson today or we started flying and I would be so happy for him cause it would light his face up when he talked about it," she said.  

Chris was also in Mr. James Kendrick's choir class. Kendrick, who taught Chris for three years, said he was a leader in the classroom. He said a week before his death, Chris walked into class singing Amazing Grace, which was one of his favorites.

"They sang that and kind of left it there and just in hind sight, several things like that happened the week before," said Kendrick.

Cummings said Chris is now watching over them.

Now that we've lost him, he's flying eternally now with the angels and I hope he's going to be one of our guardian angels, fly high Schmitt," said Cummings.

Visitation for Schmitt is Sunday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Berryhill Funeral Home. The funeral will immediately follow.

The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash.

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