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Single-engine plane crashes near Fillmore
Pilot is killed, fire is ignited
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Juan Carlo, Star staff
Firefighters put out a fire sparked when a Cessna 152 airplane crashed into an embankment in a citrus orchard south of Fillmore on Wednesday. The plane was so badly damaged that it took authorities hours to identify it.
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A single-engine airplane slammed into a dirt embankment in a citrus orchard south of Fillmore on Wednesday afternoon, killing the pilot.
The Cessna 152 was so badly damaged in the fiery crash that it took authorities hours to identify it. Much of the tail number, which is typically used to identify an aircraft, was destroyed. Only an “N” and a “2” were visible.
The pilot was identified as Russell Watts, 55, of Pacoima. The official cause of death was to be determined after an autopsy scheduled for this morning, Ventura County Deputy Medical Examiner Shasta Gainer said.
The plane departed from Whiteman Airport in Pacoima at 12:37 p.m. and crashed at 1:10 p.m. under unknown circumstances, Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Los Angeles, said Wednesday evening. Watts was the only person on board, he said.
Watts typically flew out of Whiteman to do oil pipeline inspections, but he did not specifically tell the control tower that he was conducting an inspection flight on Wednesday, Gregor said.
Tim Hagel, a captain with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department in Fillmore, said the plane had been seen flying over the small town of Piru, east of Fillmore.
The aircraft then approached the South Mountain area south of Highway 126 before suddenly making a sharp turn and crashing, said Hagel, as he stood just yards from the charred aircraft.
The pilot’s charred remains could be seen in the wreckage. The plane, which went down near Guiberson Road and the Santa Clara River, exploded into a ball of fire after it hit the ground.
A road crew working on Guiberson Road helped put out the fire.
Had the fire not been put out rapidly, “it could have quickly grown, given the dry conditions out here,” Hagel said.
Posted by bluebird on July 3, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just close your eyes.
Posted by Hueneme_girl29 on July 3, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Pog- I couldnt agree more! I was like "Whaaaa??" Glad to know his family gets to read that, Nice job star! I'd edit that part out now, it's still early and you might not piss anyone off.
Posted by gnu154 on July 3, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Godspeed, Pilot.
Posted by Hueneme_girl29 on July 3, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I see "Godspeed" on here alot, what exactly does it mean?
Posted by Hueneme_girl29 on July 3, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks Pog
Posted by Brownpride on July 3, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did they really have to go into what his body looked like? If that was one of my family members id be kinda angry about that.
Posted by rebel123 on July 3, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The official cause of death will be determined......other than flying his plane into the ground you mean?
Posted by scottypufs on July 3, 2008 at 1:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Fillmore Gazette has additional photos and video. http://www.fillmoregazette.com and click on Front Page section link in the upper left corner of the navigation.
Posted by ebrockway on July 3, 2008 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good job Firefighter Horton. Turns out practically everybody in Piru, Fillmore and Santa Paula has seen this plane flying overhead over the years. Had the words Pipeline Patrol under the wings, was always twisting and turning in the sky looking for leaks.
Posted by CatInAHat on July 3, 2008 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Most of these accidents occur when the pilot has a catastrophic heart attack or stroke. If the post can find anything, they find an undiagnosed heart condition like the one that dropped Tim Russert of Face the Nation a couple weeks ago
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