[UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: ‘Multiple fatalities’] Airplane Crash at Dinsmore Airport; Fire Spreading
At approximately 11:52 a.m., an airplane crashed near the Dinsmore Airport (recent reports over the scanner indicate that the crash occurred east of the airport).
There is now a fire in the area presumably caused by the crash but that has not been confirmed.
One occupant has been confirmed deceased and Hwy 36 is being closed.
Please remember that information gathered from initial reports is subject to revision as more facts become available.
UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: Some of the incoming resources including the helicopter and the dozer were canceled. But a number, including the High Rock ground crews both one and two, are still requested to respond.
UPDATE 12:35 p.m.: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office tweeted at 12:30 p.m., “Sheriff’s deputies enroute to the Dinsmore Airport for the report of a small aircraft crash nearby. Unknown number of passengers or injuries at this time. HWY 36 is temporary closed to traffic near the airport. More information will be released when available.”
UPDATE 12:57 p.m.: Photos from the scene.
UPDATE 1:06 p.m.: A unconfirmed report on social media states that the witness saw the plane parked at the Dinsmore airport at the end of the runway. Later, the plane crashed right after takeoff. We want to caution though that this has not been confirmed. It is the report of one person who said they witnessed prior to the crash and right after the crash.
UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: More information regarding the Dinsmore Plane Crash Investigation from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department:
The aircraft, a fixed wing single engine plane, crashed near the airport just before 11:54 a.m. today, and subsequently caught on fire. Fire personnel responded to the scene and extinguished the fire preventing spread into the nearby wooded area.
No survivors have been located as of 2:45 p.m. A Humboldt County Deputy Coroner is responding to the scene of the crash to conduct a death investigation. Multiple fatalities are believed to have occurred, however, due to the state of the wreckage and continued investigation, we are unable to confirm the number of victims at this time.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is working in partnership with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate this incident. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
UPDATE: Slightly expanded press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department:
On July 15, 2021, at about 11:54 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Dinsmore Airport for the report of a small aircraft accident.
According to the reporting party, the aircraft, a fixed wing single engine plane, crashed near the airport and subsequently caught on fire. Fire personnel responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, preventing spread into the nearby wooded area.
No survivors have been located as of Thursday afternoon. Multiple fatalities are believed to have occurred, however, due to the state of the wreckage and continued investigation, the number of victims cannot be confirmed at this time.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is working in partnership with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate this incident. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, CAL FIRE, US Forest Service, California Highway Patrol, Cal Trans, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration for their assistance and collaborative response.
More information related to this investigation will be released when available and appropriate.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.
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Smoke has gone down significantly since it crashed. I am less than a mile from the airport. We saw the plane fall. There was an explosion. Several volunteer firefighters on site. Fingers crossed
Matthew, had the plane just taken off?
People at the clinic said they saw the plane loading up to take off prior to the crash. I did not see that part. Bit it is sounding like they took off and crashed or tried to circle back to immediately land and crashed
Thank you.
Yes. My daughter was a witness. He had just lifted off.
Thank you.
There were 3/4 people I saw when we went by just before this crash. They were getting back into the plane.
The person lived please fix
The Sheriff’s Department is reporting likely multiple fatalities.
how do you know it was a real plane?
Doesn’t look like the safest airport to fly in or out of…
It isn’t, Ernie.
A good pilot knows his limits and the plane’s abilities. All of which a good PIC should take into account. Planes been flying in and out of there a long time. I wager pilot error on some level or plane malfunction. Since it’s not that hot of a day today, heat could, or not be part, of the equation also. Fate comes when least expected often.
I’ve seen many do it over the years. Spent multiple years watching planes take off from a lookout point on a property I tended. Never once saw a crash…. seems more like a mechanical issue than the airstrip. But sure, guess from a Google image….
We were on our way home from Ruth lake my kids said the saw three people boarding as we drove by, my family a little ways behind me watched the plane take off and said it looked odd…then it crashed a few moments later
Do you know if they were male or females or how many of each?
red & white? Kym can you confirm if it was private?
There are no commercial flights out of there. It was private at most a charter but unlikely.
Dam! Just heard it was Jim that owns the Dinsmore store.
Jim hasn’t owned the store in over 7 years .
Prayers to whom ever it may be and their family .
Is 36 open yet
I reached out to Jim and Marilyn and it wasn’t them. I can confirm it was a real plane. I help put the fire out and another guy looked I’m the plane and said he could see 2 bodies inside. Sad for there families.
Ouch, condolences to those affected. Thanks for getting the fire under control quick!
Poor piloting error. Well guess he paid the intimate price!
Incredible, you beat the NTSB and FAA by about a year with that well thought out accident investigation! Heck where is MH370?
Kym, please update the story when the victims are identified…
Hi, yes victims identified. Please read my comments below.
Fate sisters rolling the dice again. Condolences to the loved ones left behind. Personally I have no issues with that airfield. Landed there and at the dirt cliff strip that’s now Jim G.’s property at Kettenpom and the strip at Island Mtn. before chocking at Gville where I met Des Swittenbank and Peter Dantu. Set up a tent under the wings.
Loved that flying vacation. Decided this was a great place to live!
The NTSB will give us all the crash details after the investigation is done. Again me heart goes to the loved ones left behind.
Dinsmore is a pucker factor 7 airport to start with. High temps, 2375′ altitude, a loaded plane, plus the density altitude at the time of departure on a 2510′ (short field) runway, then add in Obstructions: 150 ft. trees, 525 ft. from runway, 2:1 slope to clear APCH RATIO 4:1 TO DSPLCD THR, and you get death and destruction. May their souls rest in peace.
Hi, maybe this airport should not allow for heavy loads with 4 people and filled gas tank? Runway probably too short . We all devastated about the loss of our friends:((
I am so sorry for your loss, but make no mistake about it, the pilot violated the law in choosing to fly with his aircraft loaded the way it was that day. All pilots have a legal responsibility under the FARs to operate their aircraft safely. This means operating within the aircraft’s performance envelope and within their own abilities.
It took me only a few minutes to make the calculations and determine that this was an impossible takeoff. Weight and balance and performance calculations are something every student pilot must master before even entering an airplane and they should be done every flight. The numbers for this takeoff aren’t even close.
I suspected that the aircraft was overloaded on hearing initial reports that there were 2 or 3 on board this plane. That there were 4 occupants and the pilot decided to land at Dinsmore is unfathomable. For that matter, the decision to take off from Southern California was an egregious violation as they would have had 300 more pounds of fuel than at the time of the accident and would have been far over the aircraft’s max gross weight.
The FAA has identified 5 hazard attitudes that contribute to aviation incidents. These are anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho and resignation. We know that at least one of the occupant made a career of being an extremist anti-authority figure and we can imagine how the other hazard attitudes contributed to this poor aeronautical decision making.
The gist is, there are rules and the pilot broke them. Applying the the FARs, as is, they weren’t allowed to land at that airport.
Dinsmore airport is a lifeline for the motorists and communities along Highway 36 and is a frequent landing zone for medical helicopters, among its many other uses. The airstrip was not the cause
Todd, you are clearly not familiar with the specs and performance of the M20J. You should not be making assertations that this T/O was not possible. You are very wrong. He was operating well within the performance capabilities of this aircraft UNLESS DA was a LOT higher than 5,000 ft and/or there was a severe tailwind when he took off, neither of which have been established here. This was an obviously very experienced pilot who owned this complex/high performance aircraft for decades. To be blunt, you are talking out of your arse.
Jacquie was a friend of mine, and many others. She was always a bright, happy, beaming lady with never-ending enthusiasm and whom never expressed anger. She leaves behind four children. Ken, one of the others on the plane, was her mate. I don’t know who the other two were. They traveled up to Humboldt to look at some land for purchase. I believe they were on their way to Napa for lunch before returning to southern California.
Much thanks and appreciation to those who tried to help. Jacquie was doing great work for many people, far more than people could understand or that I can aptly explain in a short message, and her legacy will continue through her friends and those she tutored and trained.
God bless.
Thank you, Sellam! Jacquie, Ken, Steve ( pilot) and Henry were on that plane. We, friends, absolutely devastated about this loss! Yesterday we have had a zoom meeting with 43 people and we all cried trying our best to say goodbye and appreciation words for our amazing Jacquie Figg and Ken. They will be missed dearly and never forgotten! Thank you for trying to help. God bless everyone!
Steve was not the pilot. Henry was.
Steve Sanz was not the pilot. My sister’s husband was Steve Sanz and we all miss him very much. Henry was flying the plane.
Cut down the f****** trees, or at least prune them to make a decent glide slope or else open up a gambling casino or life insurance office. (Sport fans?) PPPCPPP.? Just saying. Flying not inherently dangerous, but most unforgiving. There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old AND bold pilots. 7 come 11.
company will decide.; along with the Coroner, and …. Condolences. Rope a dope and take a toke.