Two pilots flying a World War II-era plane were killed when the plane crashed shortly after one of them gave a speech at a Father’s Day event.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Frank Wright, 67, operations manager of the Yankees Air Museum, was a passenger in the twin-engine Lockheed 12A jet with his co-pilot when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Chino Municipal Airport around 12:35 p.m. Saturday.
A witness at a Father’s Day event at a museum at a California airport took photos and video of the crash, and said the accident “happened right in front of his eyes.”
“In front of us there was a shrub or bush, maybe 10 or 12 feet tall, and we had to go around it, and as soon as we went around it the plane just disappeared behind it,” a witness told KABC.
“But as I got around it, the plane started banking to the left…very rapidly and began to descend.”
“The plane went into a steep dive and the left wing hit first,” an eyewitness said, adding: “We assume there was fuel there and there was an instant explosion.”
Both pilots were killed. They were the only people on board the plane, and no one on the ground was injured.
According to witnesses, Wright, who was part of the museum’s flight team, had just participated in a panel discussion at the event.
“He always made time to sit down and talk with me about planes and flying, and was always available to help me with any mechanical questions I had about how to fix problems on the DC-3,” Gary Stark wrote on Facebook.
“He will be greatly missed in the military aviation community.”
The identity of the other victim was not immediately known.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, whose officials were scheduled to inspect the plane on Sunday, after which it would be transported to a facility for further testing.
The museum’s Pops & Props event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and will feature “delicious on-site food, a one-of-a-kind aircraft bar, prizes including flights in a UC-40 Electra and a T-6 Texan, VIP tours, photo opportunities, flight demonstrations and vendors,” according to the museum’s website.
“The site will be closed until further notice as our family deals with this tragedy. We thank everyone for their patience and respect for our privacy as we navigate this difficult time,” museum officials said.
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