By Associated Press
HENDERSON, Nev. — Two people were killed and three others injured Saturday night in the crash of a small private plane near Henderson Executive Airport, authorities said.
The single-engine Beechcraft Sierra plane took off from the runway, had a mechanical issue and turned around in an attempt to land when it crashed south of the airport, Henderson spokeswoman Kathleen Richards told The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The propeller plane was bound for the Gillispie Field airport in El Cajon, California, around 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of San Diego, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor told the newspaper in an emailed statement.
The plane caught fire, authorities said.
The Henderson Fire Department responded about 7:45 p.m., the newspaper reported.
One person died at the scene, and the other person died at a hospital, Richards said. One person had serious injuries, and another person had minor injuries.
A Good Samaritan who tried to help rescue the people in the plane suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation, firefighters said.
The Clark County coroner’s office will identify the deceased after families are notified, Richards said.
The plane’s registered owner is a company located next to the Gillispie Field airport, the newspaper reported, citing online FAA records. That address corresponds to two flight schools, California Flight Academy and California Wings of El Cajon.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash, which Gregor said could take a year or more to complete.