A prominent Georgian scientist, Tsotne Javakhishvili, is presumed dead after his small aircraft inexplicably veered off course and plunged into the Pacific Ocean shortly after being cleared to land in California.
Javakhishvili, founder and director of the Institute of Synthetic Biology at the University of Georgia in Tbilisi, was piloting a 2014 Cessna T240 Corvalis TTx on Sunday when the incident occurred. The single-engine, four-seater plane was registered to world-renowned American chemist Peter Schultz, CEO of Scripps Research. According to authorities, Javakhishvili was the only person on board.
The flight had departed from Ramona Airport in San Diego County and was en route to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, less than 30 miles away. At 1:55 p.m., Javakhishvili made contact with the destination control tower and was cleared to land. However, he failed to respond again. Instead, the plane continued flying west for several minutes, then crashed approximately 470 miles off the San Diego coast.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) described the event as a “presumed crash” and confirmed that both the aircraft and Javakhishvili remain missing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is assisting with the investigation. Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the aircraft dramatically deviated from its expected path before disappearing from radar.
Authorities have matched the plane’s registration to the one owned by Schultz, who is widely considered one of the top chemists in the world. Schultz, in a statement, confirmed that Javakhishvili was not only a colleague, but also a close friend and skilled pilot. The two had collaborated on several scientific projects.
Javakhishvili also held a leadership role at California-based biotechnology company Ambrx, where he directed molecular biology research. His LinkedIn profile highlights his specialization in genomics and his transatlantic contributions to science.
The University of Georgia mourned his loss in a statement posted to Facebook:
“With a heavy heart, we are following the search works of our colleague, founder and director of the Institute of Synthetic Biology at the University of Georgia, Tsotne Javakhishvili, three days ago, in America. Our full support goes out to his family, friends, students and colleagues during this uncertain and difficult time. We are closely following the ongoing investigation into the plane disappearance off San Diego coast.”
Friends and colleagues expressed their grief. David Gvalia, a close friend and former colleague, told ABC News affiliate KGTV:
“I would call him my best friend. I’m numb, completely numb… it’s devastating. I still can’t believe it. Everybody loved him. Everybody respected him. He was larger than life, extremely smart and extremely kind.”
He added,
“His exit from life is poetic for numerous reasons because, as hard as it is for me to accept it, he died doing the thing he loved.”
As the investigation continues, the scientific community in both Georgia and the United States is mourning the loss of a brilliant mind who bridged borders and disciplines with passion and brilliance.
