25/11/2025
Tropic Air Stopped Paying Hero Pilot Howell Grange end of October 6 months after he averted a Hijacking
It’s been a tumultuous 2025 in Belize, but probably if you had to pick a man of the year, it might be Tropic Air pilot Howell Grange. His courageous and heroic actions saved 15 lives in a Tropic Air Caravan after they were hijacked by a deranged US military veteran, Akinyela Taylor.
The road to recovery for Grange has not been easy. He suffered major injuries when the hijacker stabbed him 10 times at close range. That he survived is a miracle - but the hard part has been recovery.
And, as of October 31st - that process just became a lot more complicated. And that’s because, 7News has learned, Tropic Air took Grange off its payroll - basically, they stopped paying him. The company reportedly told him he can come back to work, but only as a pilot. The possibility of a desk job, was refused, as we understand it.
A Social Security medical board has ruled Grange 100% unable to fly - and he is currently receiving a temporary disability payment, but it is only abut a fifth of what he used to earn when he was a salaried employee. The 40 year old still has major medical issues and his doctors considered to be quite a ways off from flying again.
We did reach out to the Tropic Air CEO Max Greif, who just a few minutes ago told us, quote, “In appreciation of Captain Howell Granges’s efforts on April 17th, Tropic Air proudly provided him with uninterrupted salary during his time while not working, along with significant support including medical expenses, international travel, accommodations, home furniture , and other assistance, in our continued effort to honor every request he made of us.
Mr. Grange remains an employee with Tropic Air and we look forward to welcoming him back to the cockpit or another open position in the company that he is qualified for when he chooses to do so.
Due to the legal action that Mr. Grange has embarked upon that Tropic Air has been drawn into, we cannot provide any further details.
