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John David Duggar’s Pilot License Has Expired Nearly 2 Years After Scary Plane Crash With Wife Abbie
Career change? 19 Kids & Counting alum John David Duggar is no longer a pilot as In Touch can confirm his license has expired, more than one year after he and wife Abbie Duggar (née Burnett) were involved in a terrifying plane crash with their daughter, Grace.
John David, 33, the second son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, received his pilot’s license in May 2021 before letting it expire on May 31, 2023. However, less than one year after being certified to fly a single engine airplane, the young couple experienced a “scary” accident in October 2021.
“An emergency landing or any kind of plane crash is a scary thing, but it’s exactly what pilots are trained for,” John David and Abbie told Celebuzz in January 2022, three months after the frightening accident. “We are so thankful for God’s protection, as we all walked away without injuries when this happened last October. We so appreciate the love and care so many have expressed toward us!”
After running out of fuel, John crashed his Piper PA-30 into a Waverly, Tennessee, field on October 29, 2021.
The Humphrey County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to In Touch that a plane crash occurred but could only verify that a family from Arkansas was involved.
In an accident report obtained by In Touch at the time, it was noted that the flight was for personal use and that the plane suffered “substantial” damage.
While John’s license has been expired for more than a month, the family’s official website still lists his job as “a pilot.”
“Abbie loves to go wherever he goes, so they enjoy traveling together a lot!” the website states. “John also does some real estate, construction and a variety of other odds and ends. Abbie is an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and plans to keep her license current but is not working outside of the home as a nurse right now. John and Abbie are also part of the non-profit organization MEDIC Corps and do mission work together in the Philippines.”
The former reality TV couple first met at a church event in 2018 in her home state of Oklahoma. Just one month after announcing their official courtship, the Duggar family announced John and Abbie’s engagement in July 2018. They tied the knot that November after Abbie relocated to Arkansas.
“We all get to make our decision on what our standards are, and so, we chose to be able to have some contact versus no contact,” John David said of their relationship during a 2019 episode of Counting On. “I’ll put my arm around her, give her a hug, and so we thought it was more appropriate in where we are in this stage of life.”
In addition to daughter Grace – whom they welcomed in January 2020 – the couple share 9-month-old son Charlie.
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