Lone plane crash survivor reflects on recovery and new life ahead of three-year anniversary

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -August 30, 2020, stands etched in the memories of many Bryan-College Station residents. It’s also a date Luke Armstrong, a then Texas A&M student and the sole survivor of a tragic plane crash that unfolded at Coulter Airfield on that tragic day, will never forget.

This Wednesday marks the three-year anniversary of the crash. While not a cause for celebration, Armstrong’s recovery is a true miracle. Husband and Wife David and Tamera Walker, along with their daughter and fellow Aggie Victoria Walker, lost their lives in the crash.

Plane Crash at Coulter Airfield in Bryan 2020 (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

Armstrong suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and underwent intensive care and rehab at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Dallas.

“When I arrived I could walk a little unsteady, I was contact assist so I had to have someone right there in case I fell. My vision was not working,” said Armstrong.

Center for Neuro Skills in Dallas (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

” I started doing a rigorous vision therapy program under the occupational therapists. They worked very closely with the neurological optometrist and did a lot of cognition work with me, both in education and in speech. That’s where I really became a functioning adult and a functioning person again,” Armstrong added.

Luke Armstrong and Jennifer Meyers assistant director for rehabilitation at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Dallas. (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

Jennifer Meyers, assistant director for rehabilitation at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Dallas, says recovery for patients with traumatic brain injuries is full of uncertainty and challenges, but with dedication and innovative approaches, remarkable progress can be achieved.

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— CNS (@neuroskills) January 10, 2023

“One of the important aspects in our program was the counseling services that we provided, which was able to help him through some tough times. And then he was very engaged in his vision therapy, physical therapy, cognitive rehabilitation. All of that really helped him make a lot of progress,” said Meyers.

Luke Armstrong wedding photo (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

Since then, Armstrong’s journey has come full circle. He has graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in construction science and is now a project engineer at MIINC L.P. in Dallas. He also recently got engaged and married, bought a house, and got a dog. Luke says the three years since the accident have been full of highs and lows.

“The beauty is on the other side of the challenge and the beauty is because of the challenge to get there. And you know climbing a mountain, part of the reason it’s so beautiful at the top is because it’s hard but that’s what makes it worthwhile and fulfilling.”