Pilot Richard J. Engel and his dog were killed late Wednesday morning when his 1966 Cessna 150F aircraft crashed in a canyon just north of Benton Airpark in Redding, CA

Cessna 150F, N7990F: Fatal accident occurred August 29, 2018 at Benton Field Airport (O85), Redding, Shasta County, California

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.

https://registry.faa.gov/N7990F 

A male pilot and his dog were killed late Wednesday morning when his aircraft crashed in a canyon just north of Benton Airpark in Redding.  The owner of the 1966 Cessna 150F plane that crashed is listed as Richard J. Engel of Kingman, AZ.  He had recently bought the plane and he was obviously learning how to fly it.

The fatal crash forced a closure of Placer Street near the scene until late that afternoon as emergency personnel arrived to secure the area and remove the man's body.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board were called to investigate the tragic crash, but they are not expected to arrive until Thursday, said Redding Airports Manager Bryant Garrett.

Garrettt said witnesses reported the plane, a Cessna 150F, had taken off into the wind in a northbound direction when they heard an unusual sound coming from its engine.

Those witnesses said the pilot apparently pulled up the nose of the aircraft and it stalled and crashed.

But, Garrett said, it's remains unclear what exactly went wrong..

He and others he had spoken to about the crash said it was the first they could recall in years there.

Garrett had not heard whether the pilot radioed a distress call before the wreck.

The small, single-engine plane went down in a gully just north of the airfield shortly after 11 a.m., narrowly missing a home off Highland Avenue, which intersects with Placer Street.

Forty-year-old Nathaniel Pritchard, who lives at that house with its owners and their two 11-year-old children, said he heard the crash and went outside to investigate.

After seeing the wreckage, Pritchard said he, as well as other neighbors, ran to the plane to try to assist those inside, but it was too late.

The pilot, who has not yet been identified, was unconscious and not moving, he said, adding he also saw the body of a small dog inside the plane.

The plane apparently clipped a tree before it crashed and came to rest against another tree and near a children's trampoline.

But, Pritchard said, the sound of the plane crash did not initially frighten him.

"It sounded a little bit like a car crash, really quick, or something falling from the back of a truck," he said. "It didn't sound very alarming."

Chris Thrift, 51, and Calvin Johansen, 63, who both live on the north side of Placer Street across from the crash site, said they also thought it was a car crash at first.

"It almost sounded like a gigantic tin can being crushed," Johansen said.

But, they said, they also heard a "sputtering" sound before the plane went down, leading them to believe the pilot may have experienced engine problems.

"I heard a putter, putter and then a boom," Johansen said.

"It sounded like the engine went out," Thrift said.

Placer Road was shut down as a result of the crash, but it was fully reopened around 4 p.m.


Story and video  ➤  https://www.redding.com

REDDING, Calif. — Update at 12:40 p.m.:
Placer Street is closed down to one lane for both east and westbound traffic near the Benton Airpark. Drivers should expect traffic control and delays. The closure is expected to remain in effect for about three hours.
Original Article:
Redding Fire has confirmed at least one person is dead after a plane crashed in a field near Benton Airpark.
SHASCOM dispatchers say they got the report of the crash at 11:18 a.m.
First responders say the plane crashed in the field on the north side of Placer Street across from the runway.
Placer Street is closed to westbound traffic at Airpark Drive. Eastbound traffic is being permitted to pass through. 
Original article can be found here ➤ https://krcrtv.com


Narrative:
The aircraft impacted the terrain north of the departure end of Runway 33 at Benton Field Airport (O85), Redding, California. The airplane came to rest upright, sustaining substantial damage, and the sole pilot onboard was fatally injured.

Sources:

https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2018/08/29/crews-responding-benton-airpark-after-crash/1135364002/
http://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/news/One-Dead-After-Small-Plane-Crash-in-Redding-492013461.html
https://www.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=us&entry=s&sa=X&ll=40.574198,-122.4071411&z=13&ftid=0x0:0xb574ca4226b8370a&q=benton+airpark+redding+ca&gmm=CgIgAQ%3D%3D&ved=2ahUKEwjHl-OEhpPdAhUj_4MKHQneCKYQ_BIwB3oECAwQKA
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=7990F%20

Date:	29-AUG-2018
Time:	11:00+
Type:	Cessna 150F
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N7990F
C/n / msn:	15064090
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Benton Field Airport (O85), Redding, CA -   United States of America
Phase:	Unknown
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:
Destination airport: