California Airplane Crash Update: 3 People Dead After Mid-Air Collision, 3rd Plane Burns in Hangar

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the number of fatalities in that airplane crash at Watsonville, California. According to the agency's website, a total of three people died that day, as well as one dog who was aboard one of the planes.

The incident happened at the Watsonville Municipal Airport at around 3:00 p.m. last Thursday. The airplanes, one single-engine Cessna 152 and one twin-engine Cessna 340, collided mid-air as both were seeking to land.

The planes then crashed into the airport grounds, with one crashing into a hangar and damaging a third plane. Meanwhile, the other plane crashed just 100 feet from some houses near the airport.

FAA and National Transportation Safety Board Reveal More Details About Crash

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are jointly investigating the crash, and both found that only one plane was attempting to land, The other plane appeared to be in a traffic pattern, according to National Transportation Safety Board air safety investigator Fabian Salazar.

The larger plane, the Cessna 340, had one pilot, one passenger, and a dog. All three inside the plane died. Meanwhile, the smaller Cessna 152 only had the pilot onboard. He also died. Nobody else was hurt, as there was no other passenger and nobody was on the ground when the crash happened. The agencies did not release the names of those who died in the incident.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the Cessna 152 was registered to Monterey Bay Aviation Inc., and was available for rentals, as it was listed under the United Flight Services, which is based in Watsonville. Meanwhile, the other plane was registered to ALM Holding LLC, out of Merced County, California.

According to CBS News, the Cessna 340's crash site, a hangar within the airport, sparked a post-crash fire, as it crashed into another airplane.

National Transportation Safety Board Looking Into Why the Two Planes Collided

Currently, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the circumstances which led to the crash. Several portions of the airport have now been cordoned off for the investigation.

Salazar said that they were also investigating whether or not the weather played a factor in the crash. However, the weather at the time of the crash was clear, with visibility up to 10 miles.

The lack of air traffic control may have also played a factor. The area around the Watsonville Municipal Airport did not have any air traffic control tower, which could help facilitate the safety of the landing procedures and air traffic within the area.

For smaller airports such as the one in Watsonville, the pilots themselves are the ones who clear the airspace and judge their own maneuvers. Pilots only use common traffic advisory frequencies to announce their actions, whether they are coming in to land their plane or going to fly out of the airport.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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