A woman involved in a plane crash that resulted in the deaths of two children near a California airport has died, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. The crash occurred in northwest Fresno near the San Joaquin River just before 2 p.m. on Saturday, prompting emergency crews to respond. The fourth individual on the plane remains in critical condition.
Tony Botti, a public information officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, stated that authorities received the call about the crash around 1:50 p.m. near the far north end of Blythe Avenue, close to Sierra Sky Park. Firefighters and law enforcement arrived to find wreckage on a bluff near the river, with flames spreading across a nearby hillside. Two adults were transported to a hospital in critical condition.
The identities and ages of the victims, as well as their relationships to each other, have not yet been confirmed. The cause of the crash is under investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) involved, and the NTSB leading the investigation. A secured perimeter was established around the wreckage to allow investigators to work.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office reported that firefighters were able to extinguish the flames and prevent them from spreading to nearby homes. Additionally, the crash caused a power outage for nearby residents, although service was later restored, according to PG&E’s outage map.