Two Pilots Dead After Crash Near Yuba City

Home » Two Pilots Dead After Crash Near Yuba City
May 17, 2019
Edward Smith

Two Pilots Dead After Crash Near Yuba City

Two small planes crashed into each other and left two pilots with deadly injuries on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The accident took place above a rice field near Yuba City and reportedly did not leave any other individuals with injuries. Sutter County Sheriff’s Office officials identified the two fatally injured men as 63-year-old Brian VanDyke and 59-year-old Burton Haughey. I would like to send my sympathy and support out to Mr. VanDyke’s and Mr. Haughey’s loved ones while they are mourning the loss of their family member and friend.

Accident Details

According to authorities, both men had been flying in small airplanes while seeding the rice field at approximately 12:00 p.m. Both men had been flying in their own single-engine Grumman G-164C. There has been no immediate report on why the accident happened, but authorities indicated that the two planes collided into each other. After the collision, the two planes crash-landed around 600 feet away from one another.

Response

Police say that they initially received a call reporting a single-plane crash. However, when responders arrived at the rice field, they found both downed aircrafts. Responders found Haugher inside of his airplane with severe injuries while VanDyke was found lying on the ground outside his aircraft, also severely injured. Tragically, medical responders could not revive either of the individuals, and they were both declared deceased on-site.

The Federal Aviation Administration will reportedly be looking into this case in order to find out what may have caused the two planes to collide. These kinds of accidents can be caused by many different factors. Common airplane accident factors include defective airplane parts, inclement weather, health emergencies, reckless pilot behavior, and more.

The Cost of Wrongful Death

Fatal accidents can leave families in a very difficult situation. Not only are people faced with the difficult and intense process of learning to cope with their grief, but suddenly losing a person in your life can also cause serious financial issues. Paying for medical expenses as well as funeral and burial costs can be a strain by itself, but those who lose a loved one often also lose a source of income for their household. Suddenly losing an income earner that you rely on can mean not knowing how you will be able to pay your bills.

On top of mourning over a tragic loss, these issues can leave people feeling overwhelmed.  However, those who’ve lost somebody in a fatal accident are often able to seek compensation to cover these losses by filing wrongful death claims. By doing this, families can claim payments for lost income and funeral expenses as well as damages to their emotional and mental wellbeing.

More Blogs from Yuba City Wrongful Death Lawyer, Ed Smith

Yuba City Wrongful Death Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, a Yuba City wrongful death lawyer. If an accident has fatally injured a person that you care about, please call me so that you can get friendly, free advice regarding your options for recovery. I am available at (800) 404-5400 and locally at (530) 392-9400.

My firm has worked with people from Yuba City and nearby places for 37 years. Learn about how I’ve helped people claim fair compensation for their losses by looking at my past settlements and verdicts. Also, see what my past clients have written about my work on:

I am part of the below organizations:

Picture: Andres Uran on Unsplash

:ms llo [cs 610]