CHINO, Calif. (KABC) — A small World War II-era plane crashed shortly after taking off from a Chino airport on Saturday, killing both people on board, authorities said.
The twin-engine Lockheed 12A plane crashed about 12:35 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The identities of those killed were not immediately released, but two friends who spoke to ABC7 said one of the victims was Yankee Air Museum operations manager Frank Wright, who witnesses said had been participating in a panel at the event shortly before the crash.
There were no other passengers on the plane and no one on the ground was injured.
Witnesses at the Father’s Day event said they were taking photos and videos when the accident happened.
“In front of me was a shrub or bush, maybe 10 or 12 feet tall, that I had to go around, and as soon as I went around it the plane disappeared behind it,” he said, “But as soon as I went around it the plane started to bank to the left and started to descend rapidly.”
A witness recalled the moment of the crash, saying it “happened right in front of our eyes.”
“The plane went into a steep dive and the first thing to hit was the left wing, which is probably where the fuel was, and there was an immediate explosion.”
It is unclear why the plane crashed. The FAA said it and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash.
NTSB investigators are expected to arrive on scene on Sunday to begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft, which will then be recovered and taken to a secure facility for further investigation.
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