The State - News from Oct. 16, 1987

An executive jet crashed in a fireball at Rancho Murieta airport, killing the three people aboard, officials said. The three people died when the nine-passenger, $4-million Falcon jet plunged to earth and erupted into flames 1 1/2 miles from the runway, said Cathy Votaw, an airport employee. Their identities were not immediately available. The airport serves Rancho Murieta, an exclusive private residential community, about 20 miles southeast of Sacramento. Eyewitness Mike Thompson said the jet made a pass at the runway and “it pitched up,” appeared to go into a roll past a tree and “after that all there was was a fireball.”