2 Truckee plane crash victims identified by Silicon Valley business partner
Questions remain in Tahoe about what downed flight from Colorado to Northern California.
Questions remain in Tahoe about what downed flight from Colorado to Northern California.
Questions remain in Tahoe about what downed flight from Colorado to Northern California.
A deadly plane crash near Tahoe Truckee Airport claimed two lives on Saturday night during a snowstorm in the Sierra.
The aircraft crashed near Glenshire Drive and Olympic Boulevard, police said.
"I heard this airplane but very close right over the house and I was like, ' Gosh that sounds awfully close,'" said Susan Bower.
Bower said when she heard the plane, she knew something was wrong.
"Seconds later, I could hear a big thud," she said. "I knew it went down."
The Truckee Fire Protection District said the scene happened between the Truckee River and railroad tracks, less than two miles from the airport.
Truckee Tahoe Airport's National Safety Board said the crash happened at 6:38 p.m. on Saturday.
There were no survivors in the crash, according to Truckee Fire.
The victims were identified as Liron and Naomi Petrushka on Sunday by UpWest, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm.
According to a social media post from the firm, Liron joined UpWest in 2012 as a partner and became an advisor to the fund in 2017.
"We are devastated by the news of Liron and Naomi Petrushka’s tragic death. Our hearts are with the Petrushka family and their sons David, Scott, and Jordan," UpWest said on social media.
"It's sad, very sad," said Susan Bower.
No homes were damaged, but some railroad tracks are being repaired by crews.
"I don't know the circumstances of why he was over here," said Craig Bower. "We don't get them directly over the house."
The cause of the crash is still unknown. Police said no structures are threatened and no roads are closed.
KCRA 3 Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn said there was moderate snow falling in the Truckee area at the time of the crash with visibility of a half-mile, though winds were light.
The Bower's said it had been snowing off and on all day Saturday.
"Definitely surprised, yeah, the plane out in that visibility. We thought for sure it was flying using an instrument," Craig Bower said. "There was no visibility at all."
The aircraft involved was a single-engine, turboprop plane. According to the Federal Aviation Administration's registry, it was a Daher TBM 700.
The plane originally took off from Centennial Airport in Colorado on Saturday afternoon.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.