Joy Cooper

Adventure, focus, and dedication changed the course of Joy’s life when she was the sole survivor of a fatal plane crash. Joy Cooper was born and raised in Paris, TX and currently lives in Sterling, VA. She works for United Airlines as an airport operations manager and has been involved in aviation since she was young. She firmly believes that her Christian faith and life experiences prepared her for this very moment.

Just this year, Joy graduated with a M.S. in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle University, specializing in aerospace operations and space systems. She also holds a B.S. in air traffic management from LeTourneau University, has her private pilot license, and holds an aircraft dispatch certificate. If you couldn’t tell, she loves aviation and travel!

As a result of working in airline operations for eight years, Joy has intimate knowledge of the safety protocols, training, and different facets of maintaining safe operations. Only a week after her life-changing crash, a well-meaning counselor mentioned that she may be afraid to fly again, to which she replied, “that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.” She believes that when you love something, you don’t let anything get in your way.

Joy’s story of recovery and growth from a serious tragedy is one of determination and realization of those things that are truly important. While she has been recovering, Joy has given safety talks to aviation classes regarding her crash and hopes to continue to provide perspective and warning to fellow aviators. Her goal is to use her experiences to inspire others and help them define what limitless means in their life. She is currently working on a full book of her story.

Joy Cooper
[email protected]
linktr.ee/JoyCooper

Flying, Falling, and Fighting: a Journey to Recovery

One smoky day in the Alaskan summer changed everything for Joy. What began as a beautiful, safe day quickly changed to a fatal and life-threatening plane crash. Joy was the only survivor of the crash. Her journey to recovery brought her through surgeries, paralysis, medical mishaps, and accident investigations. For her, mediocrity was synonymous with failure, and limits were something to be redefined and conquered. Joy’s inspiring story is one of survival, faith, and community.                       

My Free Gift

The Moose Pass Crash Challenge

Answer these ten questions to see if you would survive the Moose Pass Crash. After completing the quiz, you will have the option to download the NTSB investigation report for the crash. As the sole survivor and pilot-rated passenger of that flight, my goal is to share the events surrounding that crash with aviation community members to prevent future errors.

https://JoyCooper.org/moose-pass-challenge