ANNYA Duncan, the Jamaican teacher who died in a plane crash at VC Bird International Airport in Antigua on Sunday, was yesterday remembered as a dedicated professional who would go the extra mile to help her students.

"She was one of those teachers who stayed back after school to help the children," Karlene Foreshaw, a friend and colleague Jamaican teacher at Montserrat Secondary School, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday in a phone interview. "It's so sad that we've lost her that way."

Duncan, who observed her 29th birthday on Sunday, and the Antiguan pilot of the Fly Montserrat aircraft, Jason Forbes, died after the twin-engine Britten-Norman Islander plane crashed onto Runway Seven shortly after take-off about 4:00 pm.

The nine-seater aircraft was destined for Montserrat where Duncan had been teaching Mathematics since 2010.

Yesterday, Foreshaw said that Duncan had just renewed her teaching contract at the school which has a student population of just over 300.

Foreshaw, who teaches Integrated Science and Agriculture, said the entire school was in mourning.

"The students are in tears. We had a counselling session this (yesterday) morning which was attended by the minister of education, the Anglican and Catholic priests, the permanent secretary in the education ministry, the president of the Parent Teachers' Association and parents," said Foreshaw, who has been teaching at the school for the past five years.

She added that a candlelight vigil will be held in honour of Duncan tonight, and lamented the fact that she was not able be to show her departed friend how much she appreciated her.

People travelling between Montserrat and Antigua normally do so via air or ferry.