Raley's CFO, chief pilot identified as victims in Galt small plane crash

Hannah Workman, The Record
·1 min read
139
Two men died when a twin-engine plane crashed near Christensen and Twin Cities roads near Galt on Sunday.
Two men died when a twin-engine plane crashed near Christensen and Twin Cities roads near Galt on Sunday.

Two men, including a Raley's executive and the supermarket company's pilot, died when their twin-engine plane crashed near Galt less than 20 minutes after taking off from Tracy Municipal Airport on Sunday.

The crash happened at an orchard near Christensen and Twin Cities roads in Galt, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

A report of the crash came in at 8:54 a.m., Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sgt. Kionna Rowe said.

"The caller advised that they saw a small plane go down and heard a loud sound," Rowe said.

The Cosumnes Fire Department and deputies with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office responded to the call, Rowe said. When authorities arrived at the scene, they located the aircraft in a "marshy area" inside of a private orchard.

Both victims, identified as 56-year-old Kenneth Mueller of El Dorado Hills and 68-year-old Richard Conte of Orangevale, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Rowe.

Chelsea Minor, a spokeswoman for Raley's, said Mueller was the company's chief financial officer and Conte was its chief pilot.

"Our organization is deeply saddened and heartbroken," Minor said on Monday. "At this time, we are focused on supporting their families, friends and our colleagues."

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

Attempts to reach Tracy Municipal Airport for comment were unsuccessful.

Two men died at the scene when this plane crashed on Sunday, Sept. 5, about 20 minutes after taking off from Tracy Municipal Airport, officials said.
Two men died at the scene when this plane crashed on Sunday, Sept. 5, about 20 minutes after taking off from Tracy Municipal Airport, officials said.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Raley's CFO, chief pilot identified as victims in Galt small plane crash