WORLD NEWS | 5 identified dead in Nevada crash include WWII pilot’s grandson

RENO, Feb. 28 (AP) The brother of the pilot of a medical transport plane that crashed during a Nevada winter storm, killing all five on board, said he was following him in World War II In the footsteps of my grandfather flying a bomber.

NTSB spokesman Peter Kundson said Monday that the National Transportation Safety Board’s initial investigation into the cause of the crash Friday night will take two to three weeks.

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The single-engine Pilatus PC12 apparently disintegrated before crashing to the ground about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Reno, the agency said.

All five people in the vehicle died from multiple blunt force injuries in the crash near the country stagecoach, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office said Monday, including pilot Scott Waugh, 46, of Allendale, Mich. Leon.

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The office said four other victims were from Reno — patient Mark Land, 69, and his spouse, Terri Land, 66, and two medical staff, Edward Prikola, 32, and Ryan Watson, 27.

The NTSB said the plane was flying from Reno to Salt Lake City. It is unclear whether weather played a role in the accident. Officials did not comment on Markland’s health status.

Walton’s family set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his wife and three daughters.

One of his brothers, John Walton, a D.C. broadcaster and the face of the NHL’s Washington Capitals on WTOP radio, tweeted after Saturday’s game that he is grateful to his family. Support received from the community.

“Today I had to play the game with a broken heart,” John Walton wrote. “Please keep my brother Scott, his wife Lisa and their three beautiful daughters in your thoughts and prayers.”

Another brother, Michael Walton, told the Reno Gazette Journal that his sibling had worked in marketing for years and was in his late 20s when he decided he wanted to be a pilot. He said their grandfather flew a B-24 in World War II.

Michael Walton said his brother enjoyed flying to help those with life-threatening medical needs.

“It gave him the greatest opportunity to help others,” he said. “He’s very proud of what he’s done.”

Investigators at the crash site have determined that the plane “disintegrated in flight” a mile away based on the location of three-quarters of the plane’s parts, NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said at a news conference in Carson City on Sunday.

He said the plane was built in 2002.

The crash occurred during a winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service in Reno for much of Nevada, including parts of Lyon County. Snow has been falling, with winds of about 20 mph (30 km/h) and gusts of up to 30 mph (50 km/h).

When the flight left Reno, visibility was below 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) and cloud tops were about 2,000 feet (600 meters) above the ground, the service said.

The plane was registered with Guardian Flight in South Jordan, Utah, according to the FAA. Care Flight is a service of REMSA Health and Guardian Flight in Reno. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)