3 Plane Crash Victims Identified By Napa County Coroner

NAPA COUNTY, CA — Three people killed in a plane crash Friday near the Angwin airport were identified Monday by the Napa County Sheriff-Coroner's Office as a pilot from Southern California and his daughter and son-in-law, who were riding as passengers.

Robert Nicholas, 73, of Murrieta, California, died, as did his daughter, Shauna Waite, 37, and her husband, James Waite, 37, both of Arlington, Virginia.

The couple had a son Kiernan, who was with Shauna Waite's mother when the crash occurred, friends said in a post on DC Road Runners Club website. The couple was part of the running club.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, their single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza went down around 8:40 a.m. as Nicholas was trying to execute a missed approach at Angwin Airport-Parrett Field and clipped some trees.

"The plane crashed south of the airport and caught fire," FAA Spokesperson Ian Gregor said.

FAA records show the plane was registered to Nicholas since 2007.

The small plane came to rest in a vineyard, and the National Transportation Safety Board responded to the deadly crash alongside the FAA, the Napa County Sheriff's Office and Cal Fire.

As to where the aircraft was coming from or flying to, an NTSB spokesperson told Patch on Monday there was "no confirmed information on the origin and destination of flight at this point."

"Part of the investigation will be to request radar data, weather information, air traffic control communication, airplane maintenance records and the pilot’s medical records," NTSB Spokesperson Keith Holloway said.

It's likely a preliminary report will be available within about 12 days, Holloway said.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.