• 05
  • August
    2010

The individuals involved in a deadly plane crash in San Diego County have been identified. Gregory Crane, his wife Lori, and the couple's three children were all aboard the Velocity XLR-G5 when it experienced trouble and crashed into a nearby golf course.

Lori died at the scene of the crash. Two of the children were airlifted to a nearby hospital, while Gregory and the third child were taken via ambulance. Presently, Gregory remains in a coma and all three children, aged eight to 11, are all in critical condition.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are busy investigating the crash site this week to see if they can uncover any answers as to what happened. Eyewitnesses report that, shortly after takeoff from Montgomery Field, the plane lost one of its doors. Shortly after that, and a final radio message to air traffic control, the plane went down, landing on its wing and flipping several times before  coming to a stop.

The plane was an experimental aircraft, constructed from a kit, which Gregory assembled over the course of five years. Family members described Gregory as an experienced pilot, and he had been flying the plane for over a year prior to the accident.

The Cranes were visiting San Diego and were on the way back to Arizona when the crash occurred.

At this point, no one is certain how the plane door managed to come off in flight. The plane was certified as airworthy by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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