4 members of Sacramento family killed after small plane crashes in central California
The four people killed when a single-engine plane crashed in heavy fog minutes after takeoff from a small airport in central California over the weekend have been identified as family members from the Sacramento area.
David Chelini, 78, and his two daughters 46-year-old Karen Baker and 48-year-old Donna Chelini were killed in the crash, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office said. Steven Chelini, 58, David's nephew, was also among the dead.
(Earlier coverage in video above.)
Emergency crews responded shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday to reports of a crash in a field just west of Visalia Municipal Airport, according to the Tulare County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's Sgt. Jesse Cox told reporters it took first responders some time to locate the wreckage because of darkness and dense fog.
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the Beechcraft Bonanza plane was registered to David Chelini.
Around four minutes elapsed between takeoff and the first 911 call, Cox said. It wasn't immediately known where the plane was headed.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
--The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.