Kurt Hildebrand / The Record-CourierThe remains of a small plane crash that killed five people on Saturday await federal investigators before they're hauled off.
Douglas sheriff's deputies are standing guard over the site of what may be the county's deadliest airplane crash in 45 years.
Five people were killed 4:10 p.m. Saturday when the twin-engine Beech they were in nosedived into the ground after doing a flyover of a cattle branding party east of Lake Tahoe.
Three passengers in the aircraft have been identified by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Among them are Minden resident Paul Dallas, 43, and Gardnerville residents Leia Denner, 40, and Brent Fahey, 30. The Sheriff's Office is withholding the name of the pilot and another passenger pending notification of their next of kin.
The crash occurred south of Mottsville Lane in Carson Valley.
According to National Transportation Safety Board records, this is the deadliest aircraft accident in Douglas County since the March 1, 1964 Paradise Airlines crash into Genoa Peak killing 85 passengers and crew.