Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Pilot Dies After Crashing In Backyard Near McClellan Airfield

  •  Bob Moffitt 
Thursday, August 3, 2017 | Sacramento, CA
Bob Moffit / Capital Public Radio

Sacramento Sheriff's Department, Metropolitan Fire District and a chaplain were on the scene after a small plane crash near McClellan Airfield.

Bob Moffit / Capital Public Radio

A plane crash in a Sacramento County neighborhood has left the pilot dead and a lot of questions about what caused the crash.

The plane was a single-engine, home-built Lancair IV-P, according to Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, and crashed a little after 3 in the afternoon in the yard of a home at the corner of 28th and U Streets in Rio Linda..

Valentina Ponce and Maria Nunez live two blocks away. They say low-flying aircraft are a part of living near McClellan Airfield.

"There's a lot of airplanes that goes through here. About every morning, there's one or two at least. You can hear the noise of the airplanes flying very low."

Sacramento Sheriff's Sergeant Tony Turnbull says it hit a power pole before it crashed.

"The structure was not hit at all," Turnbull says. "There were some occupants inside the house. When they went up to the plane they located the pilot who was the sole occupant of the plane who was unresponsive. They immediately began life-saving measures on the pilot as well as Sac Metro Fire who responded to the scene."

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

(AP) - Authorities say the pilot of a small plane died after crashing in a backyard near Sacramento.

The crash occurred Thursday near McClellan Airfield, a former U.S. Air Force base about 10 miles northeast of downtown Sacramento.

Capt. Chris Vestal of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District says the pilot was the only person on board. He says the plane crashed near chicken coops roughly 100 feet from a home and took down several power lines.

Aerial images showed the plane on its belly in an overgrown yard with its tail wedged under a structure. The home is directly under the approach path for the runway at McClellan.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the aircraft crashed under "unknown circumstances." He says the plane is a homebuilt Lancair IV-P.
 

Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Bob Moffitt

Former Sacramento Region Reporter

Bob reported on all things northern California and Nevada. His coverage of police technology, local athletes, and the environment has won a regional Associated Press and several Edward R. Murrow awards.  Read Full Bio 

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

More Stories

AP Photo/Terry Chea

A billion pounds of California almonds could be stuck in warehouses instead of being exported

May 9, 2022

Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo

A salty dispute: California Coastal Commission unanimously rejects desalination plant

May 14, 2022

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Interview: Cal Fire’s staffing shortage, and a bill that could bring in more firefighters

May 13, 2022

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

California coronavirus updates: US may be vulnerable to COVID-19 come this fall and winter season

California coronavirus updates: BART reinstates a mask mandate for passengers

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

California coronavirus updates: US may be vulnerable to COVID-19 come this fall and winter season

California coronavirus updates: BART reinstates a mask mandate for passengers

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.