Three victims killed in deadly Watsonville plane crash identified

WATSONVILLE, Calif. - The coroner on Monday released the identities of the three people killed after two small planes collided while trying to land in Watsonville.

According to Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner Jim Hart, the victims killed in Thursday's crash were 75-year-old Carl Kruppa of Winton, 67-year-old Nannette Plett-Kruppa of Winton, and 32-year-old Stuart Camenson Santa Cruz. A dog also died in the crash.

There were two people and a dog aboard a twin-engine Cessna 340 and only a pilot aboard a single-engine Cessna 152 during the crash at Watsonville Municipal Airport, National Transportation Safety Board air safety investigator Fabian Salazar said.

"We have what appears to be one aircraft operating in a traffic pattern and one aircraft coming into the airport to land," Salazar said.

The single-engine Cessna 152 was registered to Monterey Bay Aviation Inc., according to FAA records. The aircraft was listed for rent by the hour on the website of United Flight Services, a company based at the airport that provides flight instruction and aircraft rentals and maintenance.

The Cessna 340 was registered to ALM Holding LLC., a company based in Winton.

Salazar said investigators were still collecting evidence and will talk to witnesses. A preliminary report on the fatal collision from the NTSB is expected in two weeks, he said.

The city-owned airport does not have a control tower to direct aircraft landing and taking off.

Salazar said pilots that use airports with no control towers have a common traffic advisory frequency they use to communicate.

"We are working to get the radio communications that were occurring on that day," he said.