A plane crashed while taking off from the Covelo Airport this afternoon igniting soon after. First responders are converging on the scene. At this point, first responders do not know how many people were in the plane at the time it crashed.
Scanner traffic began around 6:05 p.m. and indicated that multiple 911 calls had been regarding a plane crashing into a hillside near by 21900 block of Airport Road.
A firefighter heading to the scene reported there is a large column of black smoke in the area and the fire appeared to have spread into nearby vegetation burning between one-quarter and one-half acre. Initial estimates indicate the fire could grow to 2-3 acres.
UPDATE 6:29 p.m.: Firefighters from the Forest Services are at the scene and report the vegetation fire’s forward progress has been stopped. They are searching for the single-engine plane’s tail number for identification purposes.
UPDATE 6:41 p.m.: Sadly, scanner traffic indicates that two people were located dead at the crash site. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office coroners have been dispatched.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
I was cleaning my back Yard on Little Lake Way when I heard the Airplane was having trouble keeping the Idle of the plane going instead of just of stopping on the run way they started going up gurgling sounds , the best example I could give is when a car has running out of gas and it is barley putting along .Then all of the sudden as they kept pressing to go up . I heard a big bang sound with black smoke and a few seconds later a big loud explosion . Prayers for the families that lost their loved ones today in Covelo.
Do we have identification of the two people yet?
Yes, that was my niece and her fiancé, she will be missed very much
Thank you for your post, now its a starting point so \i can piece together what happened
I am with the FAA, Oakland Flight Standards District Office. If you witnessed the aircraft accident, please contact our office at 7-AWP-OAK-FSDO@faa.gov, or the local Sheriff office with the best way to contact you. The FAA and NTSB will be in Covelo in the next several days.
@CoveloGal I am the pilot’s son. Your comment is the only shred of information my family has gotten about what could’ve happened. Would you be willing to email, text, call me just so I can get any details you have? We’re all searching everywhere for anything.
Hello Kyle, I saw your comment on this article and wanted to reach out. I am the property owner of the crash site and witnessed the crash first hand. We were on site. If you would like to talk or know more about the accident please reach out to us. We are very sorry for your loss
I can’t tell you how much of a blessing it would be to have a first hand account of what happened. Please send me an email at kyleporter56@yahoo.com so I can give you my phone number. Thank you so much.
Michele. A first hand account of what happened would be such a blessing. Please send me an email at kyleporter56@yahoo.com so I can give you my phone number. Thank you so much.
Id also like to give more clear information that will help for the family I had seen them as they were taking off , id really appreciate it if someone got ahold of me my number is 707-354-5249