Photos: Mike Eliason / SBCFD
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff – Coroner’s Office has confirmed the identity of the pilot that was killed in the plane crash on Wednesday May 20, 2020, at Ralph Dunlap School.
The decedent is 38-year-old Tigran Garabedyan (male) from Burbank. This is the only decedent from the plan crash. The identity was confirmed with the use of an ANDE Rapid DNA Instrument that is currently on loan to the Coroner’s Bureau.
The remainder of the investigation into the crash will be handled by the FAA and NTSB.
A pilot has died following a plane crash in the Orcutt area on Wednesday morning.
Santa Barbara County firefighters received reports of the crash around 10:43 a.m. are responded to Ralph Dunlap Elementary School. Upon arrival, crews found a single passenger, single-engine civilian aircraft had crashed near the basketball courts of the school.
The pilot was determined to have died on impact. Crews were able to quickly extinguish and contain the fire.
The elementary school has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and children were not present on school grounds.
The cause is under investigation.
Aircraft Emergency- A single engine civilian aircraft crashed onto the playground at Ralph Dunlap Elementary School in Orcutt with one soul onboard. The pilot was killed on impact and the school was closed due to COVID19 concerns. C/T 10:43 **Call Newsline** pic.twitter.com/0WSzKmGvCe
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) May 20, 2020
Aircraft down near 1220 Oak Noll in Santa Maria. There is smoke showing.
Keyt has a video posted from a neighbor who caught it on camera and you can see a person approaching the earth at a really fast speed and the parachute opening but it was WAY too late, too close to the ground to even slow descent. Scary stuff!
I did not say he was killed right a way because of the tail numbers on the back of the plane I did not want his loved ones to get that horrible info from Edhat. I actually heard the identity too, but I don’t release that info either……
That’s thoughtful Roger!
Every pilot family’s worst nightmare. Condolences to the family, friends and loved ones.
Where are you seeing this video? Did Keyt take it down?
Nevermind. Found it on KSBY facebook page. Very sad, the plane was going so fast at impact even with the parachute deployed. RIP.
I saw the video on the Santa Maria paper’s site.
I hope they took it down!
Thank goodness there were no children playing in that yard, or at school today.
Unconfirmed reports pilot might have escaped..
Hit the basketball courts, doesn’t look like any structures involved- Fortunately, the school is deserted
What makes you think everybody outside of SB reads EdHat? There is more news on KEYT
I don’t care what people read to each is own I care about peoples feelings unlike yourself who gets a rise out of putting others down. It don’t work on me I like being last class, better than having no class….