16th June, 2024
Two persons aboard a World War II historical plane were killed on Saturday when the plane crashed in the U.S. state of California, authorities said.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement on social media X that it is investigating the crash of a Lockheed L12 aircraft near Chino, a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, about 55 km east of Downtown Los Angeles.
The aircraft was said to have crashed shortly after takeoff from Chino Airport in Southern California.
The small World War II-era twin-engine plane crashed around 12:35 p.m. (1935 GMT) near Chino Airport, reported local KABC television station, adding that the plane was found off the runway when emergency crews arrived.
The private Lockheed L12 aircraft was off the runway approximately 200 yards away in a grass field, when firefighters arrived around 12:35 p.m., Bryan Turner, the battalion chief with Chino Valley Fire District, told ABC News.
The identities of the deceased passengers who were said to be involved in a Father’s Day event at the Yanks Air Museum weren’t immediately revealed.
Turner said it’s too early to tell why the plane crashed, but there was fire involved.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash, both agencies said.