Laney Perdue's last memory before the plane crashed was her father grabbing her and holding her really, really tight.
She was the only survivor when the Island Airways charter went down near Beaver Island, killing all four adults on board.
The flight was carrying pilot William Julian, passengers Kate Leese and Adam Kendall, and 43-year-old Mike Perdue with his 11-year-old daughter Laney.
Their plane crashed on November 13, 2021, near Welke Airport on Beaver Island in Michigan.
The Crash and Rescue
Coast Guard helicopter crews found Laney and performed chest compressions on her during the flight to the children's hospital.
She sustained 11 broken bones in her leg and mouth.
Laney spent two weeks in intensive rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed, progressing from being unable to walk to using a walker and then crutches.
What Her Mother Believes
"In my heart I know that it protected her," Christie said.
Her doctor noted that Laney was determined to walk out of the hospital on crutches, which became her goal during recovery.
The Investigation
The NTSB investigation found that pilot error caused the crash when the pilot slowed down and pulled the nose too high, causing an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to recover.
Mike Perdue was a real estate agent from Gaylord, Michigan, who served on the St. Mary Athletic Board and was active in his community.
Kate Leese and Adam Kendall were newer residents of Beaver Island who had been starting a vineyard and bringing fresh ideas to the community.
Christie Perdue called her daughter "our miracle" as Laney made her journey from wheelchair to walker to walking out on crutches.