2 FOUND DEAD IN WRECKAGE OF PLANE LINKED TO VAN NUYS.Byline: Eric Wahlgren Daily News Staff Writer Hikers near this tiny Ventura County town Sunday found the bodies of a pilot and a passenger inside the wreckage of what may be a stunt airplane airplane, aeroplane, or aircraft, heavier-than-air vehicle, mechanically driven and fitted with fixed wings that support it in flight through the dynamic action of the air. that had been missing for a day after flying out of Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. . A plane identified as an EA300 Extra left the airport about 4 p.m. Saturday but did not maintain contact with authorities, said a Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control spokesman. The hikers, reportedly taking a walk through the hills near Highway 126 just west of the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. , rounded a bend and came across the crashed plane about 5:15 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. FAA officials believe the wreckage is that of the stunt plane that failed to return to Van Nuys Airport. Friends and family of a well-known local stunt pilot who has been missing since approximately 4 p.m. Saturday when his plane departed Van Nuys Airport were still hopeful Sunday that the dead pilot was not Randy Gagne. The victims had not been identified late Sunday and remained at the crash site awaiting investigators from the Ventura County Coroner's Office. Lamar Jackson, a friend of Gagne's, said late Sunday that it was uncharacteristic un·char·ac·ter·is·tic adj. Unusual or atypical: an uncharacteristic display of anger. un of the 42-year-old pilot to not return to Van Nuys Airport after an afternoon of flying. ``We don't have any idea if it's him,'' said Jackson at the Gagne residence in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . ``We just hope that he is alive. It is not like him to be gone this long.'' Jackson said Gagne flew out of the airport with a pilot friend who works for Southwest Airlines This article is about the American airline. For the former Japanese airline, see Japan Transocean Air. For the British airline, see Air Southwest. Southwest Airlines Co. . Jackson said Gagne commonly flies in the direction of Valencia, where he said there is a training area. Gagne, a flight instructor A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor certificate vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an , owns Van Nuys-based Attitude Adjusters, which is an aerobatic training school, Jackson said. Jackson said Gagne has been a pilot for more than two decades and is married to Sheree Gagne. The two have no children, he said. Ventura County sheriff's deputies apparently were summoned to the scene after the hikers returned to Highway 126 and flagged down a California Highway Patrol highway patrol n. A state law enforcement organization whose police officers patrol the public highways. officer. When the deputies arrived at the crash site east of Piru, they found that the plane was damaged beyond recognition, said Capt. Lance Young, a department spokesman in a written statement. The National Transportation Safety Board will begin its investigation early today, Young said. The Ventura County Coroner's Office also will assist in the identification of the victims. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Ventura County sheriff's deputies examine the wreckage of a plane found near Highway 126 on Sunday. Two bodies discovered inside have not been identified, but Valley pilot Randy Gagne has been missing since he took off from Van Nuys Airport on Saturday. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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