Married couple killed in OKC Wiley Post plane crash identified, will be 'sorely' missed

The two people killed in a plane crash Sunday in northwest Oklahoma City have been identified as a married couple whom colleagues say were "exceptional" and "passionate."

Oklahoma City Fire Department officials said they found an adult male trying to rescue the plane's other passenger from the wreckage, which was engulfed in flames Sunday morning. Employers of Megan Ellis identified her and her husband, Barrett Ellis, as the victims of the crash that occurred at Wiley Post Airport near Wilshire Boulevard and Council Road.

Megan was pronounced dead at the scene, while Barrett later died at the hospital, according to the fire department report. They were both 43 years old.

On its Facebook page, the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center confirmed that Megan and her husband died in the crash. Megan was previously the director of communications for the center, according to LinkedIn.

"Our hearts are with her daughter and others who loved her and are grieving her today," the post said. "During her time at OPSRC, she was a force for good, which was her mission in both her professional and personal life ... Megan’s light could not be ignored. She gave of her time and energy to make Oklahoma a better place. She contributed so much good in such a short life."

Flight tracking data reveals plane ownership

Aircraft flight tracking data showed a 1968 Beechcraft Musketeer taking off and immediately turning back to land at 10:18 a.m., just before the Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to the crash. The only plane matching that description that took off from Wiley Post Airport on Sunday was registered to Barrett Ellis, according to FAA data.

The plane's tail number also matched photos of a plane Ellis posted on Facebook in October, which he called his family's "new ticket to adventure." Ellis received his pilot's license Oct. 7, according to the post.

"Yesterday I became a pilot, and I'm so proud of myself that I've returned to Facebook to tell you all about it," Ellis said. "This was not an easy thing to do: hours in the cockpit, hours in the books, two examinations, and 13 months of making life work around trips out to the airport. I'm incredibly grateful to my excellent instructor, Scott Dorsey at Route 66 Flight School, and my supportive wife, Megan Brown Ellis."

Flight history showed Ellis' plane also took off from Wiley Post on Saturday, completing a 24-minute flight.

Megan Ellis was 'a force of nature,' colleague says

Megan also served as the executive director for the Sooner Nation Collective, which helps student-athletes get paid for their name, image and likeness while boosting charities.

Pattye Moore, the organization's chairperson, said Megan had dedicated her life to serving others. Megan had two undergraduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma, a master's degree from Boston University and a master's from Harvard.

Moore said Megan was "a force of nature" and "passionate" about her work.

"She was outgoing, she was kind," Moore said. "She was equally at home sitting down with the student-athletes as she was with prospective contributors. And you didn't even have to have met with her but a couple of times to sorely miss her ... The OU family and, actually, Oklahoma, will sorely miss both of them."

Barrett Ellis was 'a bright spot for everybody'

Barrett received his bachelor's from OU and his law degree from Harvard. Most recently, he was an attorney for the OU Foundation.

Jana Moring, assistant vice president of communications and donor relations for the foundation, said the news of Barrett and Megan's deaths has been "devastating" for his colleagues. "It's been hard to absorb," she said.

"(Barrett) was exceptionally smart, but that never overshadowed his humanness and his kindness and his curiosity about the foundation," Moring said. "He was extremely collegial, and just a bright spot for everybody."

Contributing: Staff writers Nolan Clay and Josh Dulaney

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City couple killed in Wiley Post plane crash identified