Taylor Swift named as next of kin by pilot killed in plane crash whose Cessna came down in thick fog 500 miles off course

A pilot whose plane mysteriously crashed in Taylor Swift's home city named the pop star as his next-of-kin, it has emerged.

Michael Callan was killed at Nashville Airport, Tennessee, 500 miles from the supposed destination of his single-engine Cessna - which he said would make a simple 37-mile hop without leaving Canada.

With countless questions unanswered about his death, a new one has crowned them all: he named Taylor Swift as his closest relation.


The bizarre twist was uncovered by daily newspaper The Tennessean and was confirmed by the 23-year-old singer's publicist Paula Erickson.

She told the newspaper: 'The first we heard of this was when the appropriate authorities contacted Taylor’s management about the crash. Taylor does not know this person.'


The 'aspiring pilot who loved to fly', as described by his family, was unmarried and had no children.

His sister, Jody Quenneville, told reporters they were in a state of shock and had no idea how he ended up in Nashville.


The wreckage of Mr Callan's plane lay undiscovered on the runway at Nashville Airport for up to seven hours after it crashed in the early hours of October 29.

Investigators revealed it had originated 500 miles away at the Windsor Flying Club in Ontario, Canada - and was listed as making a 37-mile journey to Pelee Island Airport.

But at some point after setting off after 8pm on October 28, Mr Callan diverted from his flight plan without informing air traffic controllers of a change, and his transponder was switched off.

He may have circled Nashville Airport for more than two hours before crash-landing in thick fog, where his plane skidded for about 450 feet before bursting into flames.

The engine was found 700 feet from the point where the plane hit the runway, and the propeller - which showed signs of having hit the runway - was 400 feet away.

The alarm was only raised after another pilot saw the wreckage at 8.45am.

Air safety investigators have released an initial report and will now be examining air traffic control tapes and the pilot's experience.


The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are both probing the incident.

No one has been able to explain why superstar Taylor Swift - who moved to Nashville aged 14 to pursue a country music career - was given a mention by Callan.

Now 23, Taylor has had a string of number one hits and has dated some of the world's biggest stars including Jonas brother Joe Jonas, One Direction's Harry Styles and the actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

In a recent interview with New York Magazine she discussed the wide appeal of her raw, emotional lyrics, revealing that 'things are not okay all the time.'

She said: 'Allowing yourself to feel raw, real emotions in public is something I am never going to be afraid to do.'By Nevel