John and Greg Forever Shine

Stacy lost her fiancé John aboard Executive Airlines

He was an amazing man with an amazing smile. I had never experienced the kind of love that I shared with John. He was an interesting person that brought so much happiness to my life. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey and lived there for nine years before moving to the United States. He liked to teach me about his culture, about Turkish food, drink, music, fi1miture and other things that I had never experienced. John had planned to take me there but unfortunately we ran out of time. We also made plans on May 20, 2000, the day before the crash, to marry by the end of the year but ran out of time for that as well. We spent our last day together at his home in Manhattan eating at one of our favorite restaurants and walking through the city. It was a wonderful day but for some reason an overwhelming sadness consumed me.

Our last conversation before we went to sleep was that we would be together forever. Less than 12 hours later they were gone and my life has never been the same. Ive been told that Im a strong person. I still work at the airport, which is difficult at times because the charter company that they flew for is still in business. On a weekly basis, aircraft identical to the one that took their lives come in and it breaks my heart. I may appear strong on the outside, but the inside still aches for answers.

Stacy with close friend Captain Greg Mac Vicar who was killed aboard Executive Airlines

September 11, 2001 has brought that ache to the surface for me again. The PA. Crash site has been an eerie similarity to John and Gregs crash site. (John and Greg left Atlantic City). I was going to go for the ride but decided at the last minute to stay behind and have lunch with them when they returned. They never came back. I still remember Greg sitting in the cockpit saying Ill see you later and John blowing me kisses as he closed the door in the plane. They were flying in a I9-passenger prop plane. They lost both engines and crashed in Bear Creek, TWP, PA. John and I were planning our future together. Two days after Gregs service, his wife Dawn found out she was pregnant with their third child. The sadness runs so deep.

I feel so lucky that I had John and Greg in my life. I am a better person for knowing them. They came into my life together and left together. I know that John will always be a part of my heart and soul. I love them, miss them and think of them everyday.

My thoughts and prayers go out to every person who reads this newsletter. Together we can handle the days that lie ahead. 

Stacy Kisby, NJ, lost her fiancé First Officer Can (John) Basat, 38, and her close friend Captain Greg Mac Vicar, 34, aboard Executive Airlines Charter Flight in Bear Creek TWP, PA on May 21, 2000

Download PDF

Posted in Our Newsletter

OUR NEW BOOK

Surviving Sudden Loss: Stories from those who have lived it

Book proceeds benefit ACCESS
Purchase Here

Families We Have Helped:

Below are some of the air disasters that we have responded to:
Private Plane - 9/26/12
Rockingham County, VA
Private Plane - 2/27/11
Abu Dhabi
Private Plane - 12/22/10
Barrington, NY
Private Plane - 7/17/10
South Portland, ME
Air India Express 812 - 5/22/10
Mangalore, India
Afriqiyah Airways 8U771- 5/12/10
Tripoli, Libya
Ethiopian Airlines 409 - 1/25/10
Off of Na'ameh, Lebanon
Air France Flight 447 - 6/1/09
Atlantic Ocean
Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 - 2/25/09
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Continental Flight 3407 - 2/12/09
Clarence Center, NY
US Airways Flight 1549 - 1/15/09
Hudson River, NY
Aeroflot Flight 821 - 9/14/08
Perm, Russia
Spanair JK 5022 - 8/20/08
Madrid, Spain
TAM Airways JJ 3054 - 7/17/07
São Paulo, Brazil
Comair Flight 5191 - 8/27/06
Lexington, KY
Airbus A320-211 - 5/3/06
Off Sochi, Russia
Bellview Airlines - 10/23/05
Nigeria
West Caribbean Airways 708 - 8/16/05
Machiques, Venezuela
Air France Flight 358 - 8/2/05
Ontario, Canada
Kam Air Flight 904 - 2/3/05
Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan
Corporate Airlines 5966 - 10/19/04
Pettis Township, MO
Kish Airlines Flight 1770 - 2/10/04
United Arab Emirates
Georgian Express Flight 126 - 1/17/04
Ontario, Canada
Flash Airlines 604 - 1/3/04

Red Sea

Turkish Airlines 634 - 1/8/03

Diyarbakır Airport, Turkey

US Airways Express/Air Midwest Flight 5481 - 1/8/03

Charlotte, NC

American Flight 587 - 11/12/01

Queens, NY

The events of September 11, 2001

Private Plane - 12/3/00
Milltown, WI
Singapore Airlines 006 - 10/31/00

Chiang Kai-shek Internat'l Airport

Gulf Air Bus A320 - 8/23/00

Persian Gulf, Bahrain

Air France Concorde 4590 - 7/25/00

Gonesse, France

Alaska Airlines 261 - 1/31/00

Pacific Ocean

Egypt Air 990 - 10/31/99

Atlantic Ocean

American Airlines 1420 - 6/1/99

Little Rock, AR

Swissair 111 - 9/2/98

Atlantic Ocean

Private Plane - 8/4/98
Phillips, WI
TWA 800 - 7/17/96

US Air 427 9/8/94

Allegheny County, PA

Long Island, NY

Pan Am 103 - 12/21/88

Lockerbie, Scotland

TWA/United Airlines - Mid-Air Collision- 12/16/1960
Brooklyn & Staten Island, NY
and hundreds of other private, commercial and military air disasters

See Full List