Victims in Tuolumne County plane crash identified | Update

COLUMBIA, Calif — Two people died after their plane crashed Wednesday evening in a field near a small airport in Tuolumne County, sheriff's officials confirmed.

The crash happened after 6 p.m. on Springfield Road in the small Tuolumne County town of Columbia. Tuolumne County Sheriff's officials said it is still too early to determine the cause of the plane crash.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived on Thursday to investigate the deadly crash.

Just before noon, authorities with the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office identified the victims as 73-year-old Robert Clough and 71-year-old Robert Parriott. Clough was identified as the pilot. Both men were from Sonora, authorities said.

It's unclear if the plane was coming or going to the area. It crashed near the Columbia Airport, a small airport that mostly houses smaller aircraft. The airport also serves as the home of one of CalFire's Air Attack bases, housing several of their aircraft for fighting California's fires.

ABC10 will update this developing story as more information becomes available.

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