Sunday, November 21, 2010

Small Beechcraft 19A crashes near Orange County Airport

Three people are dead after a single-engine plane crashed Sunday evening in Upper Newport Bay. Newport Beach Fire Division Chief Paul Matheis said the pilot of the 1968 Beechcraft Muskateer 19A (c/n MB-388) N6064N reported having trouble to the tower at John Wayne Airport, potentially due to low fuel. The plane crash landed upside down in shallow water off of Back Bay Drive, north of San Joaquin Hills Road.
A single engine plane rests in the shallow waters of Upper Newport Bay near Back Bay Dr. in Newport Beach after crashing Sunday evening. Authorities report that three people died in the crash. Newport Beach Fire Division Chief Paul Matheis said the pilot of the 1968 Beech 19A reported having trouble to the tower at John Wayne Airport, potentially due to low fuel.
(Photo by MINDY SCHAUER - THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

A firefighter at a nearby fire station witnessed the plane's distress around 5:45 p.m., and police and fire officials responded.

The plane is registered to a Palos Verdes Estates resident, but Orange County Coroner Division has not released any names pending identification. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane was flying from an unknown location in Mexico to Torrance.

FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators are en route to the crash site to find a probable cause for the accident.

The above map shows the site of the crash.

Operations at John Wayne Orange County Airport were halted for aprroximately 15-20 minutes following the crash.

(Claudia Koerner - The Orange County Register)

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