CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SACRAMENTO
A pilot and an airplane mechanic died Saturday after their single-engine plane crashed outside a private airport north of Sacramento, authorities said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the 1966 Mooney M20E crashed after 9 a.m. west of the Rio Linda Airport. Gregor said the plane was believed to have taken off from the airport.
Firefighters found the plane engulfed in flames.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Capt. Scott Jones identified the pilot as David Michaud, 53, a reserve deputy who pursued his passion for flying after serving 12 years as a full-time deputy.
Jones said Michaud and the mechanic, who was not identified, had worked on the aircraft before taking flight Saturday morning. FAA records indicate that the fixed-wing plane was registered to David and Judith Michaud of Sacramento.
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