All passengers and the pilot of a twin-engine jet were killed when the aircraft crashed near a golf course in the Lake Tahoe area, causing a wildfire nearby that was quickly contained by firefighters before it could reach the town of Truckee, California, said authorities on Monday.
The aircraft was a Bombardier CL 600, but it was not immediately revealed how many people were aboard the plane when it crashed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the incident occurred at around 1:18 p.m. on Monday as the plane's pilot was trying to land the aircraft at the nearby Truckee-Tahoe Airport.
Jet Crash
Officials did not immediately reveal the owner of the aircraft and the flight plan but later said that the aircraft possibly came from either Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, or Florida. The multi-seat business jet was equipped with two engines mounted on the rear fuselage with a T-shaped tail. The maximum passenger capacity of the aircraft is 14 passengers and two crew members, NBC News reported.
On Monday, Nevada County officials did not confirm the number of people aboard the plane when it crashed. Authorities said that no one on the ground was hurt as the aircraft crashed into a wooded area near the Ponderosa Golf Course, a few blocks away from the airport.
Nevada County Coroner Shannan Moon said it was fortunate for people on the ground that the crashed aircraft did not collide into any homes. A statement released by the FAA said that the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) will be responsible for investigating the crash, Fox News reported.
Similar Incident
Earlier this month, another aircraft was involved in an incident, a Boeing 737-200 cargo plane with two pilots. On Friday morning, the plane made an emergency landing in the water off the coast of Hawaii. The crew members were traveling to Maui after leaving Honolulu but reported engine failure en route, the FAA said in a statement.
In recorded air traffic control communications, one of the pilots could be heard saying that they have lost the No.1 engine and told the tower they were coming straight to the airport. He requested assistance from the fire department, citing the possibility of losing the engine, which was running very hot. He also told the air traffic controller that the aircraft was flying at a very low speed.
One of the pilots told the tower that the situation was not looking good, moments before the plane broke apart and crashed in the water. Coast Guard Commander Karin Evelyn said that rescue personnel found one of the pilots on the tail while the other was hanging on drifting packages to stay afloat.
Evelyn said the aircraft began to quickly sink into the depths of the waters, which put the lives of the two crew members at risk. The rescue staff hoisted one of the pilots safely on the aircraft while a rescue swimmer assisted the other victim.
Authorities quickly transported the two pilots to a hospital to be treated. Medical professionals from Queen's Medical Center the 58-year-old pilot was in critical condition while the other, 50-year-old pilot was in serious condition due to a head injury and multiple lacerations, USA Today reported.
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