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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Jessi Combs’ family and close friends publicly confirmed her death shortly after she was killed on August 27, 2019, during a land-speed-record attempt in Oregon’s Alvord Desert. Their statement combined profound grief with a celebration of Combs’ ambition, courage, and influence—while making clear that crash details had not yet been established.
What Jessi Combs’ family said
The statement released by Combs’ family and close friends was a confirmation of her death and a tribute to her life, not an accident report. It said they were sharing the news with extreme grief while also celebrating the life she had built as a professional racer, metal fabricator, and television personality.
Combs died on August 27, 2019, while driving the North American Eagle jet-powered vehicle on a dry lake bed in Oregon’s Alvord Desert. She was 39. At the time, authorities had not publicly released a cause of the crash, and the family’s statement specifically avoided presenting speculation as fact. Contemporary coverage also noted that investigators had not yet determined what happened. The Washington Post reported on the crash and the uncertainty surrounding its cause.
In substance, the family described Combs as someone who had spent years pursuing the goal of becoming the fastest woman on Earth. The statement said she had been working toward that dream since 2012 and emphasized the qualities many people associated with her publicly: positivity, tenacity, a bright smile, and a willingness to encourage others.
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It also portrayed Combs’ fans and followers as part of a broader community connected by adventure, motorsports, and passion. That language made the announcement both personal and communal: the family was mourning her loss, but it was also acknowledging the people who had been inspired by her work.
Why the wording matters
The phrase “broke its silence” can make the statement sound like the result of a prolonged media strategy. The available reporting supports a narrower description: family and close friends issued a public confirmation and tribute shortly after news of the fatal crash.
That distinction is important because the statement did not explain why the vehicle crashed. It identified the setting and the record attempt, but it did not claim to know whether a mechanical problem, surface condition, driving decision, or another factor caused the accident. Those questions belonged to the official investigation.
Nor should the statement be treated as evidence that the family had personally witnessed the crash or endorsed every later interpretation of it. Its purpose was to communicate loss and remember Combs’ life during an exceptionally difficult period.
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What investigators later reported about the crash
Later reporting on the Harney County Sheriff’s Office investigation offered a more specific explanation. In November 2019, investigators were reported to have concluded that the vehicle’s front wheel suffered a mechanical failure, most likely after striking an object on the desert surface. That finding came after the family’s initial statement and should be kept separate from what the family knew or said in August.
Reports also described blunt-force trauma to Combs’ head before the vehicle was engulfed by fire. Because the underlying coroner record is not included in the available source material, that detail should be stated cautiously. The clearest publishable investigative finding in the available reporting is the sheriff’s reported conclusion about the front-wheel failure. Later coverage summarized the reported investigation.
Combs was more than a record-attempt driver
For many viewers, Combs was already familiar long before the 2019 attempt. She worked across professional racing, automotive fabrication, television, and brand representation. Her official biography lists appearances on programs including Xtreme 4×4, Overhaulin’, MythBusters, All Girls Garage, and The List. Combs’ official biography provides an overview of that career.
Her importance to the automotive world also came from the practical nature of her work. She was not presented only as a driver or on-screen personality; she designed, built, modified, and worked on machines. Her public presence helped make fabrication and technical automotive work more visible to women and girls who had often been treated as outsiders in those fields.
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The record was recognized after her death
The family statement described Combs as pursuing the dream of becoming the fastest woman on Earth. The result of that attempt was recognized after the crash.
According to the Jessi Combs Foundation, Combs achieved a speed of 522.783 mph—841.338 kph—on August 27, 2019, before the fatal accident on her final run. Guinness later accepted the result as a women’s land-speed record in June 2020.
The most precise wording is therefore that Combs achieved the run before her death and that Guinness recognized the women’s land-speed record posthumously. It would be misleading to suggest that the official certification occurred while she was alive. The Jessi Combs Foundation’s legacy page records the speed and later recognition.
How her family and supporters continued her legacy
The Jessi Combs Foundation was founded in 2019 by friends, family members, and supporters. Its stated mission is to educate, inspire, and empower the next generation of female trailblazers and stereotype-breakers through scholarships, educational partnerships, workshops, grants, and event sponsorships.
The foundation’s work extends the themes in the family’s original statement: ambition, technical confidence, adventure, and the belief that other women should be able to see themselves in fields where they have been underrepresented. Its board includes family members alongside friends and collaborators. The foundation’s official site explains its mission and programs.
One early effort to preserve Combs’ work was the September 2019 JESSI COMBS: LIFE AT FULL SPEED exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The exhibit placed her vehicles, tools, and professional story within the larger history of automotive culture rather than reducing her legacy to the circumstances of her death.
The Fastest Woman on Earth tells the larger story
Combs’ record attempt and its personal cost were later explored in the 2022 documentary The Fastest Woman on Earth. Directed by Christopher Otwell and Graham Suorsa, the film was shot over more than seven years beginning in 2013. It follows Combs’ effort to break the land-speed record while also examining the professional and personal demands of the project.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWarner Bros. Discovery describes the film as a documentary about that long-running pursuit, while Apple TV lists it as a 2022 documentary biography with a runtime of one hour and 44 minutes. Availability can vary by country and over time, so viewers should check a current local listing before choosing a platform. Warner Bros. Discovery’s pressroom page provides official information about the documentary.
For readers looking beyond the initial news coverage, The Fastest Woman on Earth offers a fuller route into Combs’ career, her technical work, and the scale of the record attempt. Apple TV’s listing provides additional documentary details.
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The lasting meaning of the family’s statement
The family’s first public message remains most accurate when read on its own terms. It did not attempt to solve the crash. It confirmed an immense loss, described a long-held dream, and asked the public to remember Combs for her energy and influence rather than only for the accident that ended her life.
Later developments added the investigative finding, the posthumous Guinness recognition, the foundation, and the documentary. Together, they show why Combs’ story continued after August 27, 2019: she was remembered not only as a record seeker, but as a builder, racer, broadcaster, and mentor whose example encouraged women to enter the workshop, the garage, and the driver’s seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Jessi Combs die?
Jessi Combs died on August 27, 2019, in a crash while driving the North American Eagle jet-powered vehicle during a land-speed-record attempt in Oregon’s Alvord Desert.
What did Jessi Combs’ family say after her death?
Her family and close friends expressed extreme grief while celebrating her life. They described her dream of becoming the fastest woman on Earth and highlighted her positivity, tenacity, and role-model status, while noting that crash details were not yet available.
What was later reported as the cause of the crash?
Later reporting on the Harney County Sheriff’s Office investigation said the front wheel most likely suffered a mechanical failure after striking an object on the desert surface. This was a later investigative finding, not an explanation given in the family’s initial statement.
Did Jessi Combs break the women’s land-speed record?
Her run reached 522.783 mph, or 841.338 kph, on August 27, 2019, before the crash. Guinness recognized it as a women’s land-speed record posthumously in June 2020.
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Where can viewers learn more about Jessi Combs?
The 2022 documentary The Fastest Woman on Earth follows her record attempt and career. The Jessi Combs Foundation also documents her legacy and its work supporting female trailblazers.
The Bottom Line
Jessi Combs’ family statement was a carefully focused tribute: it confirmed her death, celebrated the dream she pursued, and avoided guessing about an accident that was still under investigation. Later findings, Guinness recognition, the Jessi Combs Foundation, and The Fastest Woman on Earth expanded the story—but did not change the central message that Combs’ legacy reached far beyond the final crash.
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