Posted by: thepinetree on 06/21/2010 09:25 AM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 06/23/2010 11:22 PM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
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Aircraft Fatality On Scene Coverage~by Charity Maness ...Now Updated with Name of Deceased, Chuck Swanson, 59, of Modesto
Copperopolis, CA...At 9:15 Monday morning 6-21-10, 911 dispatched Calaveras County Sheriff, CalFire, and Copperopolis Fire District to a possible downed aircraft at Pool Station and Hwy 4. Many witnesses in the area had called in reporting erratic and aerobatic maneuvers by a single engine plane ending in a subsequent loud bang. No flames or smoke was witnessed. August, a resident of Pool Station, said, “I saw the airplane from my backyard” it was doing aeronautics.....
Click Above For More Photos~by Charity Maness
” and then “I heard a bang. No more.” Another witness reiterated the same story. George Anderson, also of Pool Station, said the plane did “30 laps at least around” then it tipped “sideways barely cleared the trees and was almost completely inverted as it went down.” He also stated that he felt at the time of the descent the “engines were fully revved.” Then he heard a “loud crash sound with no flames or smoke.”
When Copperopolis Fire District Firefighter Guy Andress showed up on the scene witness George Anderson pointed to the direction where he felt the plane had gone down. At 9:54 Calaveras County Sheriff was cleared for a ground search team. At 10:06 CFPD firefighters began the hike back in the steep and rocky terrain with trauma bags. By 10:10 the two search helicopters had an aerial view of the wreckage. With helicopters in the air locating the wreckage and radio communication on the ground, Guy was able to locate the aircraft at approximately 10:15.
Within 30 minutes of location of the wreckage, Captain Eddie Ballard made a statement to the press confirming one deceased male.
It has since been confirmed that the owner of the plane was Michael Muzingo of Oakdale.
Update 6/22/10: We spoke with Calaveras County Coroner, Kevin Raggio on Tuesday afternoon. He was not able to identify the deceased through fingerprints so they had to get dental records from Modesto.
We received confirmation from Mr. Raggio this afternoon, confirmed that the deceased is Chuck Swanson, 59, of Modesto. This was released to the media on June 23rd.
Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Swanson.
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