Reno, NVIt will be an unhappy Mother's Day for a few families this morning, after 5 people were killed in a plane crash in Nevada late Saturday afternoon. One of the five victims was a woman and while it is unclear if she had any children, all five victims were someone's sons and daughter.
There will be no flowers, or Mother's Day cards forthcoming from them today.
According to various reports the twin-engine Beechcraft BE95 dropped from the sky and crash nose-first at 4:10pm yesterday near the town of Gardnerville, in northern Nevada. The plane had lifted off from Minden Tahoe Airport just 10 minutes prior and was about 5 miles from the airport when it went down.
The crash site is about 50 miles south of Reno.
There were no survivors. All five occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials believe the five died from blunt force trauma directly related to the impact when the six-seater plane slammed into the ground.
As of Sunday morning, three of the five occupants had been identified as Paul Dallas, 43; Leia Denner, 40; and Brent Fahey, 30. According to CNN.com all five occupants were from Nevada. The news service also reported that the pilot and a fourth passenger could not be identified until next of kin had been notified.
Given that the plane crash happened in the rural Carson Valley, along the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, there were no casualties on the ground. The plane crashed into a pasture.
According to the Associated Press witness who saw the plane in the air minutes before the crash report nothing out of the ordinary. In a report posted with various news organizations witnesses said the plane appeared to be flying normally, nor did they hear any unusual noises that might have suggested engine trouble. There didn't appear to be any pieces of the plane seen to detach immediately prior to the plane crash.
Adding to the mystery is the fact officials do not yet know where the plane was headed. According to a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the pilot did not file a flight plan.
It is not known if the plane was leased, or if it was a private plane. As the pilot has yet to be identified, there is no information as to his experience or credentials. The FAA together with a crew from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was expected to be at the scene of the crash site this morning to begin a coordinated investigation.
While a plane crash happens less frequently than a car crash, it appears as if there are more plane crashes in the news lately and more involving smaller planes. Commuting by small plane, either commercially—leased—or privately owned—appears to have become increasingly popular. In tandem with the apparent rise in small plane use for commuting or recreation, is an apparent increase in plane crashes.
Investigators will be combing the wreckage this morning for clues as to just what happened when a plane dropped out of the sky. Today, four sons and a daughter will not be observing Mother's Day…