SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Heartache and loss enshrouded the families of five people who were killed in a medical plane crash on its way to Salt Lake City from Reno, Nev., last Friday, Jan. 24.

The family of Scott Walton, who was the pilot of that plane, opened up about their grief to ABC4.

“He was always a kid at heart,” shared his brother John Walton, the middle of the three Walton brothers. “He was such a good man and a great pilot, but for us, he was our brother and a constant presence.”

John and Michael Walton, the youngest of the three, said they were devastated early Saturday morning when they first learned about the crash and the loss of their oldest brother.

“It’s an absolute nightmare scenario. I spent most of Saturday just hoping that I would wake up,” Michael Walton said.

“My mother called me in the morning, just before 8 ‘o clock. The tone in her voice — immediately I knew something had gone wrong,” John Walton added.

They described Scott as the glue that kept their family together and said his loss has been immense for all of them.

“He could walk in a room and not say a word and still make it better,” John Walton said.

Scott Walton was flying the plane to take a patient to receive life-saving medical treatment. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board believes the plane broke up in mid-air during a windy, winter storm. 

“This is not something we ever thought we would go through, but having the perspective of having flown with him and knowing to the very end he was as calm as he could, and I’m sure he did everything he could,” John Walton said.

His brothers shared what they loved about Scott Walton, saying he was a wonderful person with a great sense of humor and an infectious laugh. They say he was known for his larger-than-life personality. He was not only a wonderful professional pilot but also an incredible family man to his three daughters.

“What an incredible light he brought with him. He is the kind of person who never met a stranger. He was able to connect with whoever and wherever he was,” said Michael Walton.

They are still processing that he’s gone, but remembering who he was and his passion for life has been what’s been helping them through these past few days.

“I can’t believe that he is gone. I don’t know that it’s fully hit me. It’s a sad day but we try and take comfort in our best memories of him and we have a lot of those,” John Walton said.

Scott Walton’s brothers shared they’ve been hearing from people who knew him, and the kind of positive influence he was in their lives is the same that they knew him to be. 

A GoFundMe has been started for anyone wanting to help the Walton family.