Plane Involved In Deadly Hawaiian Crash Was In 2016 NorCal Incident
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Investigators in Hawaii are combing through the wreckage, trying to determine the cause of a plane crash that killed 11 people after take off in Oahu.
This is the nation's deadliest civilian plane crash since 2011 and the NTSB investigation has pointed investigators to Northern California.
Three years ago, the same plane that crashed was involved in a mid-air incident locally in Northern California. The plane reportedly started spinning mid-air near Byron, California, forcing 14 skydivers inside to jump out early to escape.
READ MORE: Skydiving Plane That Crashed In Hawaii, Killing 11, Owned By Placer County Company
The NTSB determined pilot error played a role in that 2016 incident, but the report does detail damage to the plan as a result.
According to the report, the twin-engine plane repeatedly stalled and spun before the pilot managed to safely land. Once on the ground, the report said they noticed pieces were missing from the plane. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were later recovered in a field a few miles away, and the plane was later repaired.
That 2016 flight was operated by a company called Bay Area Skydiving, but the plane itself is registered to a separate limited-liability company. It's owned by Pat Garcia.
CBS13 was not able to reach Garcia for comment, but an acquaintance told us he was not on the plane when it crashed in Hawaii.
According to his Facebook Posts, he owns a different skydiving company. That company, Skydive Sacramento, does not appear to be involved in either incident. In fact, the website boasts the best safety record in Northern California.
The NTSB said it is now looking into this previous incident, along with maintenance and inspection records. They are trying to figure out whether the repairs made after the local 2016 incident played a role in this deadly crash in Hawaii.
