LA VERNE, Calif. (KABC) --
Firefighters from La Verne and Los Angeles County fire departments rushed to the 1600 block of W. McKinley Avenue following the initial report of the crash, which came in shortly before noon.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Beech Bonanza aircraft crashed while on approach to Brackett Field Airport.
Flames were visible and thick black smoke rose from the wreckage.
Initial reports state that the plane may have struck a tree, the FAA said. A witness, Francisco Juarez, told Eyewitness News he saw the plane as it crashed, and said the plane did not hit a tree.
The one person on board was pronounced dead at the scene, La Verne police said. The name of the pilot has not been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating.
Monday's crash was the second wreck in as many days. A plane also crashed near Brackett Field Airport on Sunday, killing one person and seriously injuring another.
The crash on Monday occurred about 100 yards away from Sunday's plane crash. Both planes ended up in a nursery near the west end of the airstrip.
The plane was registered to Curtis Hedlund Corporation, doing business as Boss Air Mechanical. Here is the pilot information of the owner of the business, Curtis Evart Hedlund. He apparently got his pilot license in May 2018. Inexperience may have played a role in the crash, as the eye witnesses did not report engine failure:
CURTIS EVART HEDLUND
409 PALM ST
TAFT CA 93268-2646
County: KERN
Country: USA
Certificate: AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT
Date of Issue: 5/14/2018
Ratings:
AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT
AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND
COMMERCIAL PRIVILEGES
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
Type Ratings:
A/B-737 A/CL-65
Limits:
ENGLISH PROFICIENT.
ATP CIRC. APCH. - VMC ONLY.
B-737 CL-65 CIRC. APCH. - VMC ONLY.
About
Curtis Hedlund Corporation is a plumbing contractor from Irwindale. They offer septic tank installation, plumbing fixtures repair, water testing and more.
Summary
1966 BEECH V35
Fixed wing single engine
(6 seats / 1 engine)
Owner
CURTIS HEDLUND CORPORATION
IRWINDALE , CA, US
(Corporation)
Boss Air Mechanical is a full service Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) contractor located in Southern California. We have over 25 years of experience within the air conditioning and sheet metal industry. We are family owned and operated. We provide sales, service and installations on small and large jobs for residential, commercial and industrial applications
======================================================
Narrative:
The aircraft clipped a tree and impacted terrain near Brackett Field Airport (KPOC), in La Verne, California. The aircraft was consumed by the post-impact fire and the sole pilot on board received fatal injures.
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/ABC7/?__tn__=kCH-R&eid=ARAJxVoh8U16SJ_m3EmMchJNYseAdXnP_fOCo_6F_A-hXSZ8lKkGZMScXhJPC01xY7LSS-eFVmasOVig&hc_ref=ARRaHFeSI_2Bm8Nn2I5tjBknhwZdeweEZZzeh8Tp1CQODeTgz0H7TnPa5W6rUjByWGg
https://abc7.com/plane-crash-reported-near-brackett-field-airport-in-la-verne/4384834/
________________________
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7997M/history/20181001/1748Z/tracklog
Date: 01-OCT-2018
Time: 11:48 LT
Type:
Beechcraft V35 Bonanza
Owner/operator: Private
Registration: N7997M
C/n / msn: D-8277
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Brackett Field Airport (KPOC), La Verne, CA -
United States of America Phase: Approach
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport:
Destination airport: Brackett Field Airport (KPOC), La Verne, CA