CHINO, CA – Two individuals died when a small World War II-era plane crashed soon after departing Chino Airport on Saturday, according to authorities. The two-engine Lockheed 12A crashed at approximately 12:35 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed.
Though the deceased have not been publicly identified, two friends of the victims disclosed that one of the casualties was Frank Wright, the Yanks Air Museum’s Chief of Operations. Wright was part of a panel at an event just before the plane went down, an eye-witness stated.
The witness, who was photographing and filming the Father’s Day event when the crash happened, recounted seeing the plane disappear behind a shrub and then reemerge. The plane was seen leaning sharply to the left before it plummeted, and an explosion took place.
There were no other passengers on the plane and no one on the ground was injured. The cause of the crash is yet unclear. It is expected that an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be on the scene on Sunday to begin a thorough examination and documentation of the crash site and the aircraft.
Following this, the aircraft will be transported to a secure facility for further evaluation. The FAA and the NTSB are tasked with investigating the incident.