A plane from World War II crashed during a Father’s Day event in California, killing both pilots on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA stated that a twin-engine Lockheed 12A crashed shortly after leaving Chino Airport in California around 12:35 p.m. on Saturday, June 15.
Officials said two people were on the plane when it crashed. Fortunately, no one on the ground was hurt.
Authorities did not reveal the names of the pilots, but two friends told FOX 11 that one of them was Frank Wright, the Chief of Operations at the Yanks Air Museum.
One witness described seeing the crash happen right in front of them. They said the plane was no more than 300 feet in the air when it suddenly banked to the left, took a nosedive, and the left wing hit the ground first, causing a big explosion and black smoke.
Yanks Air Museum issued a statement saying they are cooperating with the FAA to find out what caused the crash. The museum also announced they will be closed until further notice to deal with the tragedy.
Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash to determine its cause.