The pilot of a medical transport plane, Scott Walton, tragically died alongside four others when the single-engine Pilatus PC12 he was flying broke apart mid-air and crashed in Nevada during a winter storm. Preliminary investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have begun to determine the cause of the crash, which is estimated to take two to three weeks.
The NTSB has revealed that the crash occurred 40 miles southeast of Reno, near rural Stagecoach. All five people on board died from multiple blunt-force injuries. The other four victims were identified as 69-year-old patient Mark Rand, his 66-year-old spouse Terri Rand, and two medical crew members, Edward Pricola and Ryan Watson, both from Reno.
Scott Walton had a passion for flying that was influenced by his grandfather, who flew bombers in World War II. Walton’s family has set up a GoFundMe site to raise funds for his wife and three daughters. One of his brothers, John Walton, who works as a broadcaster in Washington D.C., voiced his gratitude on Twitter for the support his family had received from the community.
Michael Walton, another brother, revealed that Scott had been working in marketing for years and decided to pursue a career in flying at the age of 40. Michael said that his brother loved flying to help people with life-threatening medical needs and took great pride in his work.
Bruce Landsberg, NTSB Vice Chair, reported that investigators at the scene of the crash had already determined the aircraft broke up in flight based on the location of parts of the plane found up to three-quarters of a mile away. The plane was built in 2002 and was registered to Guardian Flight, based in South Jordan, Utah. Care Flight is a service of REMSA Health in Reno and Guardian Flight.
The crash occurred during a winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service in Reno, which covered large swaths of Nevada, including parts of Lyon County. It was snowing heavily with winds around 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Visibility was under 2 miles with a cloud ceiling about 2,000 feet above the ground when the flight left Reno. It is unclear whether the weather played a role in the crash.
»Scott Walton tragically dies alongside four others in plane crash«
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