During her flight, which included several stop overs, Dubroff became an instant celebrity and media darling, and her flight was vigorously followed by many well-wishers. Media outlets such as CNN and others followed her flight steps every day for the duration of her trip, reporting each time she landed or took off, until the tragic ending of her adventure.
Dubroff took off from Cheyenne under a bad storm because she needed to be in New York that evening to be interviewed at a popular night talk show. Also dead in the crash were her father and her flight instructor.
Several rumors of Dubroff living an abusive family life came out after her death, concentrating on the fact the Dubroff kids were home schooled and rarely seen on any social activities. No evidence of the rumors being true ever surfaced, however.