AUBURN, Calif — A small, rare warplane was the aircraft used in a plane crash Jan. 24 that killed two people and injured one person in Auburn. The plane was a single-engine Stinson Vultee V-77, and it crashed one mile north of the Auburn Municipal Airport.
Anthony Lawrence Wright Sr., 80, and his son, Anthony Lawrence Wright Jr., 55, died in the accident, according to Placer County Sheriff. Wright Jr. was Reserve Deputy Sheriff and a full-time records officer with the Rancho Cordova Police Department. The injured person has not been identified.
Matt Armenta, a fellow pilot at the Auburn Municipal Airport, said that Wright Jr.'s plane was beautiful and well maintained.
"He loved that plane. He was always very excited about it when he would tell you about the history of the aircraft," Armenta said. "He was like a little kid in a candy store talking about his baby that he loved so much."
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the single-engine Stinson V-77 hasn't been involved in a crash since 1977. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the Auburn crash.
In 1977, the cause of the was believed to have been connected to a flat tire. The pilot tried to land in Riverton, Ill., but due to a flat tire, the pilot was unable to land correctly. The NTSB also suspects that the pilot did not properly operate the brakes and flight controls on landing.
The NTSB reports there have been 29 crashes involving the Stinson V-77 model across America since 1965. Four of the crashes since 1970 resulted in deaths. The crash in Auburn was the deadliest.
The Stinson V-77 was known as the AT-19 when it flew American soldiers and members of the British Royal Navy during World War II, according to the Vintage Aircraft Association.
There are currently 88 Stinson V-77 planes and three Stinson AT-19 planes registered in the U.S. with the Federal Aviation Administration. Five of those planes are registered in California. The Vintage Aircraft Association said this plane model is a rare sight for plane enthusiasts.
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