VOLCAN MOUNTAIN PLANE CRASH VICTIMS STILL NOT IDENTIFIED

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By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

May 29, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – A plane that crashed on May 11th on Volcan Mountain near Julian has been positively identified as a twin-engine Beechcraft Duchess reported missing by Gillespie Field, according to the FAA.

The plane crash sparked a brush fire that charred the bodies of three men aboard. Due to the blaze in the remote location, the bodies could not be recovered until four days after the tragedy. All three bodies suffered blunt force and thermal injuries.

The County Medical Examiner’s office has not yet confirmed the identities of those onboard. According to Alex Bell, communications officer for the County’s Public Safety Group, “While we do have leads on who the victims are, positively confirming their identities requires DNA testing. Those samples have been sent to the lab, and it takes approximately 6-8 weeks for the results. We hope to be able to confirm their identities and notify their next of kin in the next month or so. After notifying the next of kin, we can release that information publicly.”

The plane was owned by Scandinavian Aviation Academy at Gillespie Field, according to 10 News. No information has yet been released on whether or not the flight was engaged in training students at the time of the crash.


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