KNEELAND, Calif. — Two people with ties to the Sacramento region were killed in a Humboldt County plane crash Tuesday.
Cal Fire Aviation confirmed a mechanic and a pilot were the ones on board. They were contractors who work with Cal Fire and were employed by a company called Amentum. ABC10 was told they were going out to fix a Cal Fire helicopter at the time.
They were in a single engine Cessna 206 that left from McClellan Airport in Sacramento County when it crashed near Kneeland Airport around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to the FAA.
It was hard news for team members at the Cal Fire Aviation Management hangar to hear.
Steve Torres, a Helicopter Maintenance Officer for Cal Fire, worked closely with a mechanic on board.
"The guys on the hangar floor are passionate about what they do," he said.
Outside the hangar, a plaque reads, "dedicated to the brave men and women who fight fire, both in the air and on the ground, to protect lives and property of the citizens of California."
That message carried even more weight this week.
"You know, everyday when we come to work, we walk by this plaque, we don't really think about it but as of yesterday, we started to really pay attention to what we do," Torres said.
Amentum released a statement to ABC10 saying in part, "We send our deepest heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and teammates of our fallen comrades. They are heroes who worked each day to save lives and property from devastating wildfires, and their loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers."
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash. The cause is currently unknown.
They NTSB told ABC10 that an investigator is still out there collecting evidence Wednesday.
ABC10 reached out to the Humboldt County Coroner's Office and Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said the identities of the victims are not being released until next of kin are notified.
