Plane crashes near Shafter; 1 person dead

Ishani Desai, The Bakersfield Californian
·1 min read

Nov. 3—A type of crop-dusting plane crashed late Wednesday morning in Shafter, killing a pilot who was only person aboard, according to local and federal authorities.

They said the plane had taken off from Minter Field airport just minutes before reports came in to the Shafter Police Department at 11:56 a.m. of a crash north of Lerdo Highway between Merced and Fresno avenues.

Fire officials at the scene said a cause of the crash was not immediately known. Representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were planning to investigate.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said by email the plane was some kind of crop duster.

"The aircraft caught fire after crashing. Only the pilot was on board," the spokeswoman wrote, adding the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

Kern County Sheriff's Office deputies on scene provided site security, said Lt. Joel Swanson, a spokesman for the agency.

Kern County Fire Department Battalion Chief Joshua Stinnett told reporters the plane caught fire after crashing and that it took 10 minutes to extinguish.