Preliminary report cites pilot error in 2023 fatal plane crash near Covelo

The pilot of a personal aircraft that crashed near Covelo late last year, killing themself and a passenger, turned too far causing the plane to go down, according to a preliminary investigation of the incident.

On Oct. 20, two witnesses spotted the Beechcraft A36 at different points immediately following its takeoff from the Round Valley Airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s initial report.

The report does not say which of the two people on board was the pilot.

It does include an account of what investigators believe happened before and after the crash.

The plane, which carried Vaughan Wesley Porter, 54, and Jaime Danielle Rust, 51, investigators said, started to turn left toward the northwest after lifting off from the runway. It cleared a group of trees by about 20 feet as the turn continued then, as the plane’s nose was turned toward the south, the A36 banked too far and fell to the ground.

It crashed through about 50 feet of treetops and branches before striking the ground and exploding, starting a fire, according to the NTSB report.

The flames were extinguished soon after and the bodies of Rust and Porter were found.

The wreckage was less than half a mile from the airport.

The preliminary report details information found during the initial investigation. The final report indicating a probable cause could take up to two years, NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway previously told The Press Democrat.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.