Firefighters extinguished a fire likely caused by a small airplane that crashed.
Anthony Galaviz
agalaviz@fresnobee.com
A small plane reportedly crashed on Saturday afternoon at the San Joaquin River embankment in Fresno.
The location of the plane crash stretches from Milburn to Blythe at Sierra Sky Park Airport.
Fresno Fire spokesperson Josh Sellers said two people were pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Sellers said the crash happened around 1:45 p.m.
First responders arrived to find one small aircraft had crashed off of the runway in the river bottom area of the San Joaquin River.
It is unknown if the plane was departing or arriving.
The crash caused a fire that burned 5 acres.
The Federal Aviation Agency and that National Transportation Safety Board were en route to the scene to conduct investigations, Sellers said.
This story will be updated when more information becomes available.
This story was originally published September 5, 2026 at 3:41 PM.
The Fresno Bee
Anthony Galaviz writes about breaking news/sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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