4 dead in Fallon plane crash; pilot assigned to naval base

UPDATE: Naval Air Station Fallon has confirmed that the pilot of a small Cessna aircraft that crashed Friday night is assigned to the base.

Also on board were three other passengers.

Zip Upham, public affairs officer, said Saturday morning the Navy is in contact with two families, one in Fallon and the other in the Fresno area.

"We've notified both sides of the family," Upham said.

The Federal Aviation Agency and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash. Upham said he doesn't know how involved the Navy will be because the accident involved a civilian aircraft.

According to an FAA preliminary report, the aircraft was a twin-engine Cessna 320. The tail number is registered to a Fallon man.

The Churchill County Sheriff's Office received a report of the small plane crash at 7:36 p.m. The plane went down approximately three-quarters of a mile to one mile east of the airport's runway. The municipal airport is located on the north side of Rattlesnake Hill.

Witnesses on the ground said the plane appeared to be in distress and maneuvering erratically. Shortly afterward the plane impacted the ground and smoke and flames were seen at the site of the crash.

****

Four people are confirmed dead following the crash of a twin-engine private airplane near the Fallon Municipal Airport Friday evening.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will begin investigating the crash Saturday. The sheriff's office will maintain the crash site until the federal agencies arrive.

The Churchill County Sheriff's Office received a report of the small plane crash at 7:36 p.m. The plane went down approximately three-quarters of a mile to one mile east of the airport's runway. The municipal airport is located on the north side of Rattlesnake Hill.

Witnesses on the ground said the plane appeared to be in distress and maneuvering erratically. Shortly afterward the plane impacted the ground and smoke and flames were seen at the site of the crash.

The flight originated out of Fresno, Calif.

The sheriff's office confirmed four people died in the crash. Identification of the deceased is pending.

The Naval Air Station Fallon public affairs office stated it was not a Naval aircraft that went down and it was a privately owned civilian aircraft. Because of U.S. Navy procedures, the public affairs office cannot verify the identity of the victims until it completes a 24-hour procedure.