A celebration for a local pilot ended in tragedy. Here’s how you can help

BLACKFOOT – Three best friends embarked on a journey in the sky on Saturday night to celebrate one’s new pilot license, but it ended in tragedy.

Caden Max West, his brother Myles West, and their friend Jaxson Homer took off for a short flight around the Blackfoot airport.

“They were just going out for a quick ride to celebrate that he got his license,” says Nicole Johnson, Homer’s aunt. “We don’t know yet, really, what happened, but the plane went down shortly after being in the air.”

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At 11 p.m., the plane crashed on the north end of the airport, according to a news release from the Blackfoot Police Department.

Caden died from his injuries. He was 27 years old.

The other two were seriously injured and transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

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

According to Johnson, Jaxson Homer’s parents, Travis and Tana, got a call from Caden and Myles’ parents, Jason and Maxine, around midnight, asking if they knew about the crash.

“They had just gotten a call to let them know that Caden was dead,” Johnson says. “They were asking to see if they’d heard from Jaxson.”

The Homers tracked Jaxson’s phone and learned their son had been taken to EIRMC.

“It was shocking and devastating,” says Johnson. “It’s just hard to fathom, and you’re just not prepared for something like that to happen to somebody so close to you.”

Myles was released from the hospital just a few days after the crash, having suffered extensive head bruising, a dislocated hip and a broken nose, according to a Facebook post from his father.

“My beliefs don’t let me accept that Saturday was the end of the story. If you share that, join us with a prayer,” says Jason West in the post. “If you don’t, I’d ask you to let our families hold onto it without judgment.”

Jaxson continues to fight for his life after suffering multiple life-threatening injuries.

According to a GoFundMe organized by Johnson, Jaxson is in the ICU with a vertebral burst fracture of his L3, a broken sternum, a shattered ankle and severe facial fractures.

“He has literally shattered all of his facial structure. I think (his face) took the impact, but luckily his brain is functioning, and he can respond, but he’s on a ventilator,” says Johnson.

Jaxson’s eyes are completely swollen shut, but his aunt says he has been able to slowly nod, squeeze his hand, and give thumbs-up and thumbs-down hand signals to answer questions.

On Wednesday, Jaxson was transported from EIRMC to the University of Utah to receive specialized care.

“In Idaho, the first couple of days, he had surgery on his ankle for some pins to be put in and to put his ankle back together,” says Johnson. “Right after he got out of ankle surgery, they took him to back surgery to put rods and a cage in his back.”

On Saturday, Jaxson is scheduled to have facial reconstruction surgery.

“They’re learning how to communicate with him to see what he needs,” says Johnson. “Through that, he found out that one friend made it and one friend didn’t.”

Just before Jaxson was transported to Utah, the Homer family learned that their insurance would not cover the expenses from the treatment he needs there.

“It’s out of network, but you’re going to choose the best care for your child no matter what,” says Johnson. “That was a pretty big blow. … He needs the best care possible, and they’ll figure out the financial stuff later.”

The GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for medical expenses and travel, and to support Jaxson’s family in being by his side during his recovery.

Johnson says Jaxson, a student at Utah Tech University, was studying to take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) in two weeks to achieve his dream of becoming an orthodontist one day.

“He is the sweetest kid. He’s always been just a good kid,” says Johnson. “A good human with a big heart. He loves working out, getting strong and spending time with his friends. This group of friends had been best friends since they were young.”

The Homer family says it has been overwhelmed by community support since the crash and has provided a statement expressing its thanks.

“Words will never be enough to thank the droves of people who are supporting us in many ways. The generosity is truly unexplainable. I went to bed at 10 last night so exhausted and woke at 6, went outside to nature, grass, trees, fresh air with some yoga, meditation, and prayer,” says Tana Homer, Jaxson’s mom. “I sobbed with gratitude, touched by so many people, angels on earth, who are supporting us. I can’t even believe it or express the feelings I have, but I cry many times a day in awe of the love we are receiving and feeling. It’s overwhelming.”

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