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Video shows moments small World War II-era plane crashes near Chino Airport
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash.
A tragic accident occurred over Father’s Day weekend at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
Two members of the museum, Chief Operating Officer Frank Wright and Pilot-in-Command Michael “Mike” Gilles, were killed when a vintage World War II-era plane crashed shortly after takeoff.
The plane, a twin-engine Lockheed 12A Electra Junior, went down near Chino Airport on Saturday afternoon.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash. It is not yet confirmed if the aircraft was part of the Yanks Air Pops & Props event happening at the museum that day.
Firefighters extinguished the flames within ten minutes, but tragically, both Frank Wright and Michael “Mike” Gilles were found deceased inside the aircraft.
Mike Gilles, a resident of Aliso Viejo, California, had served as the Yanks Air Museum’s Pilot-in-Command for the Lockheed 12A for several years.
A museum statement clarified, “Mike was piloting the aircraft from the left seat on the day of the accident. While the plane wasn’t required to have two certified pilots, Frank Wright was assisting with flight procedures and operations from the right seat.
