Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Fatal Plane Crash Kills Five, Rains Bodies and Debris on Corona Car Dealership
Two Sunday afternoon small-aircraft flights turned deadly yesterday when the planes collided mid-air over Corona, sending bodies and debris flying through the air and onto parking lots below and killing five people.
The owner of one of the planes, a Cessna 172, was not piloting the aircraft, and knew about the crash from having seen the television news. William A. Reinke from La Habra did not offer any information to the media regarding who was piloting his plane or who the passengers on board were. The second aircraft was a Cessna 150 which is listed as belonging to a company called Air Corona, Inc. in Dover, Delaware. Because the small Corona Municipal Airport does not have a staffed control tower, authorities investigating the incident are having a difficult time discerning what caused the crash that happened at about 3:35 Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, on the ground, investigators are sorting through the debris and wreckage that fell from the sky, landing atop vehicles, and at the Chevy Dealership, claiming one life. ABC news quotes eyewitness Hector Hernandez as he spoke with local KCBS-TV: "There were bodies falling out of the sky [...] One of them crashed into the top of a Ford Mustang, and another one fell not too far behind that one on the parking lot." Much of the smaller Cessna disseminated into several pieces after the impact, while the larger plane crashed near the Nissan dealership.
Two bodies from each of the planes have been found, but investigators will not know if there are more victims of the crash until they are able to work their way through all the wreckage.
Photo of a Cessna aircraft by BobMacInnes via Flickr
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
