Pilot killed in Truckee plane crash identified by coroner as 24-year-old from Sacramento
The Placer County Coroner’s Office has identified the pilot who died in a Tuesday plane crash near the Truckee airport.
James Duncan Harrell, a 24-year-old from Sacramento, was flying with a co-pilot when their Cirrus SR20 crashed about a mile after taking off. Harrell was pronounced dead at the scene; the other pilot, who was not identified, was taken to a Reno hospital with injuries but is expected to survive.
According to a news release from the Truckee Tahoe Airport District, the plane crashed at 10:46 a.m. Tuesday, just one minute after taking off from the airport.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said that officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the cause of the crash, which remains unknown at this time.
