MAY 22, 2015
LAUGHLIN— The Clark County Coroner's office today released the name of the man who perished in the plane crash at Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area Sunday.
James Walker, age 72, died at the scene when the single engine Rockwell Commander slammed into a mesquite tree in the park. The crash ignited a blaze that consumed the wreckage and 36 acres of the popular park located south of Laughlin.
Walker's wife Evelyn, age 64, was transported from the park via Mercy Air helicopter to a Las Vegas hospital. She passed away Wednesday as a result of the burns she received when the plane caught on fire.
The Walkers were residents of Avondale, Ariz.
The aircraft's two other passengers — Gregory Torres and Diana Soto — were taken by ambulance to area hospitals and then flown to Las Vegas, who observed the plane just before it went down. He added that it looked as though the pilot was attempting to land on the river.
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration spent two days at the park, combing through the debris in an attempt to determine the cause of the crash. On Tuesday, salvage crews removed what was left of the wreckage and transferred it to an unknown location for further testing.
Patrick Jones, NTSB investigator, said the investigation could take six months to a year to complete.
Source: http://www.mohavedailynews.com