Pilot who died in Christmas Eve plane crash identified, Sacramento County officials say
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RADAR TO TRACK THE CONDITIONS NEAR YOU. WE’RE FOLLOWING A DEVELOPING STORY OUT OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY. TWO PEOPLE ARE IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER A PLANE CRASHED IN RIO LINDA THIS AFTERNOON. IT HAPPENED AROUND 1230 NEAR RIO LINDA BOULEVARD AND CLAIR AVENUE. KCRA 3’S MICHELLE BANDUR IS LIVE THERE WITH WHAT SHE HAS LEARNED. YEAH. CURTIS, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW WE ARE CAUGHT IN THAT THUNDERSTORM THAT HEATHER’S BEEN TALKING ABOUT. WE’RE PRETTY FAR FROM OUR CAR, SO WE WEREN’T ABLE TO GET AN UMBRELLA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE ARE HERE GETTING DRENCHED. BUT THIS STILL IS A SCENE HERE THAT FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WILL TAKE A LOOK AT. I MEAN, WE ARE RIGHT HERE BY THE PLANE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, JUST REALLY SOMETHING YOU DON’T SEE EVERY DAY. TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE, WE’RE ABOUT A HALF A MILE FROM THE RIO LINDA AIRPORT AND TWO AND A HALF MILES FROM MCCLELLAN AIRPORT. AND MCCLELLAN MANAGER TELLS ME THAT THE PLANE LEFT RIO LINDA AIRPORT AROUND 1230 BEFORE CRASHING IN THIS LARGE FIELD. ITS PLANNED DESTINATION IS JUST UNCLEAR. THE SACRAMENTO FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRST ON THE SCENE TO HELP THE TWO VICTIMS ON BOARD TWO MEN, THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER CRITICALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. WE’RE HEARING ABOUT A HEAD INJURY AND SOME POSSIBLE BROKEN BONES. THE PLANE IS A 1966 FIXED WING, SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT OWNED BY A SACRAMENTO COMPANY, A AND R AERO, WHICH IS ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM THIS LOCATION. FIREFIGHTERS SAY THE PASSENGER WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE PLANE AND THEY HAD TO CUT HIM OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO GET HIM TO THE AMBULANCE. WE BROUGHT OUT EXTRICATION EQUIPMENT AND A HOSE LINE JUST IN CASE THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF FIRE AS WELL. THEY CUT THAT VICTIM OUT OF THE PLANE. BOTH VICTIMS WERE TRANSPORTED IN CRITICAL CONDITION. IT WAS ALSO NOTICED THAT BOTH WINGS BROKE OFF. THAT’S WHERE THE FUEL WAS STORED. SO THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF FUEL THAT LEAKED INTO THE FIELD AS WELL. THERE WAS NO FIRE HAZARD AT THAT POINT. YEAH. CAPTAIN SILVIA SAYS THAT THEY ACTUALLY WERE PREPARED WITH FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT TO PUT OUT A FIRE BECAUSE OF THAT FUEL LEAK. BUT AGAIN, THERE WASN’T ANY FLAMES FROM THE CRASH. YOU KNOW, BACK OUT HERE LIVE. WE ARE WAITING FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, SO THEY CAN BEGIN THE INVESTIGATION TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY THE PLANE WENT DOWN AFTER TAKEOFF, REPORTING LIVE IN RIO
Pilot who died in Christmas Eve plane crash identified, Sacramento County officials say
Previous coverage in the video player below
Updated: 9:09 AM PST Jan 7, 2026
Sacramento County officials on Wednesday identified the man who died after a small plane crash on Christmas Eve.Ronnie Metcalf, 70, was one of two men aboard a 1966 fixed-wing single-engine aircraft that departed from Rio Linda Airport before crashing in a large field west of Sacramento McClellan Airport, according to McClellan’s airport manager.A report from the Federal Aviation Administration said it was the passenger who died in the crash. The Sacramento County Coroner’s office identified the man who died as Metcalf, a West Sacramento resident.The Sacramento Fire Department said the passenger was trapped inside the plane, and crews had to cut him out of the aircraft to get him to an ambulance. Firefighters also initially thought Metcalf died at the scene, but they brought back his pulse through CPR.It is unknown when Metcalf died of his injuries.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
RIO LINDA, Calif. —
Sacramento County officials on Wednesday identified the man who died after a small plane crash on Christmas Eve.
Ronnie Metcalf, 70, was one of two men aboard a 1966 fixed-wing single-engine aircraft that departed from Rio Linda Airport before crashing in a large field west of Sacramento McClellan Airport, according to McClellan’s airport manager.
A report from the Federal Aviation Administration said it was the passenger who died in the crash. The Sacramento County Coroner’s office identified the man who died as Metcalf, a West Sacramento resident.
The Sacramento Fire Department said the passenger was trapped inside the plane, and crews had to cut him out of the aircraft to get him to an ambulance. Firefighters also initially thought Metcalf died at the scene, but they brought back his pulse through CPR.
It is unknown when Metcalf died of his injuries.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel