Two Minnesotans were among the six people killed in a California private jet crash last month, officials said Wednesday.
TEGNA affiliate ABC10 reports that the Nevada County Coroner's Office had to use DNA to identify the victims because of heavy damage sustained in the crash.
The county sheriff's office said 56-year-old Thomas Ebaugh of Lakeville and 34-year-old Kevin Kvarnlov of Mendota Heights were killed when the plane went down not far from Lake Tahoe.
Various local news outlets identified Ebaugh, who also went by Bret, as the pilot of the plane. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a 33-year veteran of the aviation industry who was certified to fly the Bombardier jet that crashed.
The other victims were identified as:
- Christine Thomas, 33, of California
- Ryan Thomas, 38, of California
- Alberto Montero De Collado De La Rosa, 43, of California
- John Dunn, 62, of Texas
The crash happened on July 26. Officials identified the aircraft as a Twin Turbo Jet Challenger 605.
The flight, which originated from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was making its final approach to land at Truckee-Tahoe Airport when it went down in a nearby forest.
Airport officials said conditions at the time were not impacting flights in or out. However, aviation expert Steven Thompson told ABC10 that flying conditions in Truckee can be treacherous.
“The particular angle they were at suggests that they may have lost visual (of the runway)," he said. "Because it’s in my understanding that, at some point, they had confirmed to the tower that they actually did have a visual on the runway."
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined by the Federal Aviation Administration.
