John David And Abbie Duggar Finally Break Their Silence About Their Harrowing Plane Crash

News that John David and Abbie Duggar were involved in a plane crash in October broke on January 26, according to a 911 dispatcher who spoke with People about the incident. The plane, which was piloted by John, reportedly experienced a "double engine failure." Days after the news broke, the couple shared a photo to their shared Instagram account that showed them onboard the plane with the caption "breaking our silence on the plane crash." This is what we know. 

The dispatcher who spoke with People explained that the plane went down at roughly 7 p.m. on October 29 while they were flying over Waverly, Tennessee. Following the reporting by People, the couple issued their statement. In a Celebuzz interview linked in their Instagram bio, John and Abbie stated that they were on the plane with their 2-year-old daughter Grace Annette when they had to make an emergency landing. "An emergency landing or any kind of plane crash is a scary thing, but it's exactly what pilots are trained for," they said. "We are so thankful for God's protection, as we all walked away without injuries when this happened last October." 

The Celebuzz article that provided John David and Abbie Duggar's statement reported that John purchased the Piper PA-30 plane in July 2020. According to People, John, who was flying the plane during the accident, is a certified flight instructor who acquired a commercial license in November 2021, after the incident. Flying seems to be important to the couple who got engaged in a hangar, according to Instagram, and even Abby is a pilot, who acquired a student license in 2020. 

While little is known about the details surrounding the crash, several potential causes have been presented. Celebuzz suggested that it was a "faulty fuel gauge" but other reports state that the plane ran out of fuel. Fortunately, a National Transportation Safety Board's Aviation Accident Preliminary Report on the incident stated no one onboard was hurt, per E! News. While the family was surely shocked by the crash, as John told Celebuzz, that is "exactly what pilots are trained for."