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Fatal Beechcraft Bonanza Crash Causes Wildfire

One dead in crash near Novato, California.

A Beechcraft Bonanza that was lost in Marin County, California, on Monday evening sparked a 40-acre wildfire in a remote area of farmland and open grass fields. Lieutenant Douglas Pittman from the Marin County sheriff’s department told a local CBS station that dense fog in the area delayed the search and the wreckage wasn’t located until the following morning. The pilot, the only occupant of the single-engine airplane, was found dead.

The airplane, which was reportedly on its way from Brookings, Oregon, to San Carlos, California, impacted the ground around 9:30 p.m. about seven miles west of Gnoss Field Airport in Novato. The news outlet said the pilot had reported engine problems prior to the crash.

Pittman said the fog made it impossible for search crews to use aircraft to look for the downed airplane. Instead a ground search was used to locate the wreckage. The emergency beacon in the airplane had been set off. Pittman said the fire covered an area of about 40 acres and was contained by the Marin County Fire Department on Tuesday morning.

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