42°
Richard Terbrusch, 53, was a Ridgefield resident and 1983 graduate of John Jay High School in Cross River whose divorce and family law practice was based in Danbury, and Dr. Jennifer Landrum, 45, was a teacher at Thomson High School in Georgia.
They were en route to Charleston Executive Airport in South Carolina from Danbury Municipal Airport when the Piper PA-34, crashed at about 11:10 a.m. Saturday into the Atlantic Ocean about one mile south of Dune Road in the Village of Quogue, the Coast Guard said.
The third victim was the pilot, 41-year-old Munidat "Raj" Persaud, the owner of a Danbury flight training company.
Terbrusch earned his Bachelor's Degree from Syracuse University in 1987 and graduated cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he was associate editor of the Quinnipiac Law Review and received an award for distinguished academic achievement. He was also a graduate-level guest lecturer at Western Connecticut State University.
Among Terbrusch's clients was Thomas Ravenel, star of Bravo's “Southern Charm."
Terbrusch was also an avid equestrian and nationally ranked amateur polo player.
Landrum taught special education and, according to Schools Superintendent Mychele Rhodes, " was a valued member of the McDuffie County School System."
Landrum's 75-year-old mother, Carol Ann, of Gibson, Georgia, told Newsday that her daughter and Terbrusch had "gotten very close, and they cared a lot for each other."
After arriving in South Carolina, the two had planned to travel to Augusta to see the two adult children of Jennifer Landrum, who was divorced, according to the report, which noted Terbrusch had recently brought his 10-year-old son, Grant, to Georgia for a visit.
The pilot, Persaud, was a former airline flight engineer who worked for several airlines, including Pan American World Airways as a technical representative and avionics technician. He also worked as a bush pilot with several thousand hours of experience flying in the jungles of South America.
He owned and operated Danbury Flight Training, which provided flight instruction and training.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred amid rainy, windy conditions.
Funeral arrangements for the three victims have not yet been announced.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Middletown-Wallkill and receive free news updates.
