On Friday, a small, single-engine airplane crashed in the Marin Headlands, killing the two people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the crash — but one of the deceased passengers has been identified by their family.
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) tweeted Friday that a downed aircraft was observed along a backcountry ridge north of Conzelman Road; the crash of the plane occurred away from any roads and trails. Per GGNRA, the two individuals involved in the crash were found deceased at the scene.
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The charred wreckage remains under the observation of investigators from the NTSB, the agency noting that it appeared both the pilot and passenger died on impact or soon after. Officials also reported that the single-engine plane in question is Vans RV-10 — a low-wing homebuilt airplane model that's sold (in kit form) by Van's Aircraft.
Photos of plane that crashed above Conzelman Road on Friday (5/6). https://t.co/pP1cCseDZQ pic.twitter.com/87vzXVJCI5
— Golden Gate NPS - Alerts (@GGNRANPSAlerts) May 7, 2022
According to ABC7 News, Jennifer (JJ) Fox of Sacramento was identified as one of the two killed in the plane crash before the weekend after a post was put up on Jesuit High School's website.
Jesuit High School, which is located in Carmichael, noted that Fox is a mother to a sophomore student attending the school. Apparently, Fox's friend also died in the plane crash — but the identity of that individual has yet to be released.
Per NTSB Investigator Eleazar Nepomuceno, the plane initially took off from Sacramento. Investigators, too, said the plane's destination was unclear and that an emergency beacon inside the national recreation area aided first responders in locating the crash. (At the time of the afternoon crash, conditions over the Marin Headland were shrouded in dense fog.)
NTBS Investigators have not determined if the prevailing weather conditions at the time were a factor in the crash. However, it was confirmed the pilot was using visual flight rules to navigate, not the more analog instrumental flight tools more commonly used during poor weather conditions.
The small aircraft was removed from the crash site Sunday, where it will be taken back to Sacramento for further study and observation. NTSB has said it could take months before the cause of the crash is determined.
This past December, a small passenger plane — which was also a single-engine aircraft — carrying a four-person Bay Area family crashed in central California amid heavy fog conditions, killing all on board.
Related: [Update] Small Plane Crashes Straight Into House In Monterey; Two Dead
Photo: Twitter via @GGNRANPSAlerts