Small Plane, Helicopter Collide In San Francisco Bay Area

RIO VISTA, Calif. — Authorities say two pilots were taken to hospitals with minor injuries after a small plane clipped a helicopter in the air over Northern California.

Law enforcement and Federal Aviation administration officials say the six-seat Beechcraft Bonanza plane clipped the two-seat Robinson R22 helicopter at about 7 p.m. Sunday. It happened near the small Rio Vista Municipal Airport halfway between Oakland and Sacramento.

No specifics on how the crash happened were immediately released.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the helicopter landed in a field about eight miles south of the airport, and the plane landed short of the Byron Airport about 20 miles to the south.

It's not clear if there were any other people aboard the two aircraft.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Vincent Sbardella]

02:33 PM on 02/21/2012

It's interesting, after an incident of this sort, to read the comments of the uninformed, ill-informed, misinformed, and downright ignorant, versus the input of people actually involved in the industry. I know someone is going to ask ----- I'm a retired pilot, from a major airline, 22,600 hours--- off the B757.

[crazybobmt]

11:19 AM on 02/21/2012

few details small comment "bang "

[blnite]

10:38 AM on 02/21/2012

As usual, the accuracy level of the "teaser" headlines is 100% off
( but that's the incompetent Huffpost standard of journalism)
This "Collision over a City" happened about 30 miles away from ANY City, or in-fact any major building of any sort.
No wonder this news organization lacks any credibility.

[Pine Island Joe]

08:11 AM on 02/21/2012

I think that this is old news already. It happened day ago.

[Vincent Sbardella]

07:53 AM on 02/21/2012

News Flash ------- Two semis collided on an interstate near Boise, Idaho. Both drivers sustained minor injuries. The point is -- WHO CARES??

[twinpossible]

10:22 AM on 02/21/2012

Exactly!

[crazybobmt]

11:20 AM on 02/21/2012

the potatos care ..right spuds?

[BeachSurfer]

11:30 PM on 02/20/2012

BeachSurfer
Glad there injuries were not so bad pilots! Beach Surfer!1

[sassybrnette]

09:49 PM on 02/20/2012

It's always the small planes causing crashes. The idiot flying the plane needs to have his license revoked.

[jmweinzap]

03:59 AM on 02/21/2012

do you have any idea what you are talking about? How do you feel about all the car accidents that happen everyday. Considering that you likely have no knowledge of the true skill level or capabilities of these pilots I feel that your hyperbolic comment is unfounded. Have you never made a mistake or had an accident of any kind? I had and accident once. I spilled a drink a few years ago, and I forced myself to drink exclusively from a sippy cup ever since.

[2005jimmy]

10:55 AM on 02/21/2012

Not likely any idea as to what they are talking about. As a flight insturctor I can absolutely asure you that getting a pilots license ain't no piece of cake. Simply to end up with the legal right to fly, there have been hours of insturction and evaluation way beyond what it takes to get a vehicle driver's license. When in the cockpit there is often a lot going on and it is easy to get distracted such as seeing one plane in your determined path and not seeing another that may be over taking from behind and also climbing or descending into your fligh path. Also, since there is so much legal risk at approving someone who may not be up to standards, typically a portential pilot is evaluated by multiple people before approving to actaully take the flight test.

[Kendra Hill]

08:11 PM on 02/20/2012

Yikes

[bi1]

08:02 PM on 02/20/2012

How did that get there ?

[Activation]

05:11 PM on 02/20/2012

Ron Paul said: "This is evidence that the government should get out of the aviation safety business. Since it is in pilots' self interest to avoid collisions, the federal bureaucracy is unnecessary and a wasteful use of tax dollars. Just let the pilots work it out themselves. When they see each other in the sky, one will say, 'I'll turn left, you turn right' and all will be safe!"

[2005jimmy]

07:23 PM on 02/20/2012

So what you are implying that because someone made a mistake, that there is no reason to mandate training?

[Cliff Rothband]

10:34 PM on 02/20/2012

Another day, another plane crash. Who really believes there should be no rules, or regulations. Government is responsible for the direction and supervision of public affairs: Anarchy is the opposite of governemt, a state of lawlessness and confusion. Maybe there are to many outdated rules. That's why we live in a democracy. Things change usually for the better.

[mikennz]

04:43 PM on 02/20/2012

Might be nice if HP could set an example and spell check. The teaser to this article used the word, "collision" and spelled it wrong (colission).

[bi1]

08:01 PM on 02/20/2012

Are you trying to get a job?

[dbrockskk]

08:41 PM on 02/20/2012

well said

[SKYPILOT54]

04:23 PM on 02/20/2012

I Feel I must say this for those who are pilots or want to be pilots,, or if you ride with a pilot in smaller planes. WINGS has safety seminars held all over this country a couple times a year near YOU,, go to them, you get pionts towards your 2 year check ride, and can aviod the 1 hour oral if you went to enough of them. We never call a non-towered airport - unconrolled-- they should be called PILOT CONTROLLED,,, When I leave a Pilot-controlled airport I call out that I'm leaving the pattern, say from runway 36 and heading west leaving the pattern,, when I approach a Pilot controlled airport, I make a call out at 10 miles and 5 miles of my heading, altitude and intent, I then call out I'm entering down wind mid-field of the runway I'm going to land. You don't have to do any of this, and if your plane doesn't have a radio you can't, but if you do have a radio why not fly safe? We can fly for hours and never see another plane in the sky,, but where do we expect to SEE other air traffic? ;) 5 miles out, 10 miles out? Where did this crash happen?

[2005jimmy]

07:26 PM on 02/20/2012

People make mistakes or get distracted.

[SKYPILOT54]

04:07 PM on 02/20/2012

Not to long from now,, I believe 2020,, that same Bonanza will be required to have installed a collision avoidance, and so will the R22 they are avaiable now, but very expensive and it's a topic of a hugh battle because of the added cost to some small used planes. You can choose not to add this, but can't enter any towered controlled airspace.

[2005jimmy]

07:32 PM on 02/20/2012

Well the really sad thing about electronics and aviation is the cost. One example is communication radios. There are a number of hand held two radios within the market place that every bit as good as radios typically in small aircraft for 1/3 the cost. Sure someone is going to tell me that standard radios generally are FM and aircraft are AM. But, what I am talking about is the quality of components within each kind.

[Moongoddess3]

12:19 AM on 02/21/2012

It should be manditory and less expensive, but for now, I say "what's my life worth" and eat the cost. TCAS saved my life, I'm so glad I have it. There's a flight school at an airport about 10 miles from mine. There was a student doing some IFR training in the clouds (illegally) and was headed straight for me as I departed and climbed, we are in the mountains and ATC is unable to see us until we hit about 10,000, so they couldn't have helped me. I had a few words with the school and turned them in. But that kind of garbage happens, best to be prepared.

[SKYPILOT54]

06:30 AM on 02/21/2012

Lucky

[LXIX WITHU]

03:50 PM on 02/20/2012

VFR?

[kathy001]

04:07 PM on 02/20/2012

That could explain it. 7PM is kinda dark for VFR at this time of year.

[Contemplate1]

06:00 PM on 02/20/2012

It is still possible to maintain VFR at night. But it does require more pilot vigilence since it's easy for other aircraft to disappear in the ground clutter.

[Ken Roberts]

03:27 PM on 02/20/2012

The editors here seriously need a lesson in Geography before writing. How bout looking at a Map guys.

[hb341]

08:34 AM on 02/21/2012

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&cp=12&gs_id=21&xhr=t&rlz=1W3SNNT&biw=1364&bih=568&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&q=rio+vista+california&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x808537ace8c753f3:0x69fa7cc5f0a9f9a9,Rio+Vista,+CA&gl=us&ei=jpxDT4zwDqjiiALQz5W-AQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQ8gEwAQ

Just saying...

[Ken Roberts]

09:39 AM on 02/21/2012

LOL! Thanks!