At least one dead in Marina plane crash
UPDATE 3/26/2018 4 p.m.: One man is dead after a plane crash at the Marina Municipal Airport Monday morning.
Just before 11 o’clock, reports came in about a plane that had crashed and was engulfed in flames.
“The first officer on scene confirmed there was one plane that had crashed and was fully involved when the officer arrived on scene,” said Commander Eddie Anderson with Marina Police.
Fire crews from Marina and Presidio of Monterey responded, along with police and paramedics.
The Federal Aviation Administration told KION one person was aboard the aircraft when it crashed. Authorities say the aircraft was a Mooney M20E and was based out of Watsonville.
“We do have a few witness accounts. As I understand it, the witnesses said the airplane was taking off from runway 29, which is right behind us, going this direction, got airborne. Some witnesses said it climbed at a pretty steep angle, and they’re reporting that it stalled and came down,” says Michael Huhn with the NTSB.
Investigators have not identified the pilot, but say he was a familiar face at the airport.
“It’s my understanding the plane actually landed here to get fuel and was leaving and something happened, we don’t know exactly what caused the plane to crash,” Anderson said.
That’s the job of the FAA and the National Safety Transportation Board. Investigators were at the scene taking pictures of the wreckage and speaking to witnesses on Monday afternoon. They say it could take up to a year before they can determine that caused the crash.
The Marina Municipal Airport is closed while the investigation continues.
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ORIGINAL POST: One man is dead after his plane crashed on the runway of the Marina airport.
We are told he was the pilot, and the only person on the small plane. He was making a stop to fill up and was a regular at the airport. Officials do not believe he was from the area.
The airport is now closed while first responders, the NTSB and FAA investigate the incident.
The FAA tells us, “A single-engine Mooney M20E crashed under unknown circumstances while the pilot was taking off from Marina Municipal Airport around 10 a.m. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.”
KION has a crew on scene and will bring you the latest details as they become available.
