Photo Credit: YouTube
(YUBA CITY, CA.) – A Yuba City pilot died Thursday morning after his small plane crashed through a fence at the Sutter County Airport, forcing officials to shut down the facility.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the plane crashed through the airport fence around 7:10am. Deputies were dispatched to the scene shortly after.
The Sutter County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot as 68-year-old Gerald Binse of Yuba City, who was the only person on board. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Binse's next of kin was at the scene and was notified by officials. Crews recovered his body from the wreckage shortly before 9am.
The aircraft, a small, two-seat Van’s RV-4 homebuilt plane, ended up in a field near residential homes on the airport's perimeter. The airport sits just south of Yuba City and Marysville.
“It’s a single-engine plane, smaller than a crop duster,” said Sutter County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sierra Pedley.
Photo Credit: YouTube
At the scene, first responders and deputies found debris scattered in the field yards away from the main wreckage, near a low chain-link fence that had been flattened where the plane plowed through. Both wings were badly damaged, with one wingtip dangling and the propeller bent. The cockpit's glass canopy was also open and damaged near the back.
The weather was clear and sunny at the time of the crash, and authorities have not yet said what caused the accident.
The Sutter County Airport will remain closed until further notice, according to the sheriff's office. Drivers are also being asked to avoid 2nd Street in Yuba City while deputies and federal investigators work at the crash site.
Investigators haven't said yet whether the plane was taking off or landing when it crashed.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are still investigating the crash. The NTSB is leading the probe and will provide further updates as the investigation progresses.
This is an ongoing investigation, and OpGov.News will provide updates as they are confirmed.
If you have any questions or comments, please email me at kathleen.p@lead4earth.org or comment below.
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