The victims aboard the plane were Frank Wright, 67, and Michael Paul Gilles, 71, authorities confirmed.
A vintage World War II-era plane crashed after departing from an airport in California for a Father’s Day event, tragically killing two people on board.
According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident occurred on June 15, involving a twin-engine Lockheed 12A. The aircraft crashed around 12:35 p.m. local time after taking off from Chino Airport. Authorities confirmed that two people were on the plane during the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be investigating the accident further.
In a statement on Facebook, the Yanks Air Museum, which owns the aircraft, said the accident happened in an unoccupied field near Chino Airport, leading to the loss of two lives. “Shortly after noon yesterday [June 15], one of our aircraft was involved in an accident in an unoccupied field near Chino Airport resulting in two fatalities aboard the aircraft,” the museum stated. “At this time, we are working with local authorities and the FAA. Yanks Air Museum will be closed until further notice as our family deals with this tragedy. We appreciate your patience and respect for our privacy as we navigate through this difficult time.”
The crash occurred during the museum’s Yanks Pops and Props event, a Father’s Day celebration featuring various vintage planes and historical displays.
Responders contained the blaze within 10 minutes, discovering the two victims inside the plane afterward, according to the Associated Press.
The coroner’s division of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department confirmed the identities of the victims on June 17 as Frank Wright, 67, and Michael Paul Gilles, 71.
Chino Valley Fire District battalion chief Bryan Turner mentioned that the plane was found 200 yards away from the runway, as reported by ABC News.
One witness described seeing the plane at about 300 feet in the air before it began to incline to the left. “It took a nosedive, and the first part of the plane that hit was the left wing,” the witness told Fox affiliate KTTV. “And what happened was [an] immediate explosion. Like [a] big fireball, black smoke.”
Further information may be provided as the investigation proceeds.
