Two pilots killed in small World War II-era plane crash during Father's Day event in California

A World War II-era plane crashed during a Father's Day event in California, killing two pilots on board the plane, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The FAA said a twin-engine Lockheed 12A crashed shortly after departing Chino Airport in California around 12:35 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. 

Officials said two people were on board when the plane crashed. No one on the ground was injured, officials said. 

Authorities did not identify the pilots, but according to two friends who spoke with FOX 11, one of the victims was Frank Wright, the Chief of Operations at the Yanks Air Museum. 

APOLLO 8 ASTRONAUT, WILLIAM ANDERS, WHO TOOK FAMOUS PICTURE OF EARTH, KILLED IN SMALL PLANE CRASH

The witness told FOX 11 that Wright had participated in a panel discussion at a Father's Day event at the museum before the crash.

The witness told the station about the moment the plane crashed, saying it "happened right in front of my eyes."

SMALL PLANE CRASHES IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA, KILLING 2

The witness recalled the moment of impact to FOX 11 saying that the plane was "no more than 300 feet in the air" when it started banking to the left. 

"It took a nosedive, and the first part of the plane that hit was the left wing," the witness said. "And what happened was [an] immediate explosion. Like [a] big fireball, black smoke." 

Yanks Air Museum released a statement and said they are working with the FAA to determine what caused the plane to crash. 

PILOT, 6 PASSENGERS ON SKYDIVING FLIGHT JUMP BEFORE SMALL PLANE CRASHES IN MISSOURI HAYFIELD

"Shortly after noon yesterday, one of our aircraft was involved in an accident in an unoccupied field near Chino Airport resulting in two fatalities aboard the aircraft. At this time, we are working with local authorities and the FAA," the museum said. 

The museum added that they will be closed until further notice.

"Yanks Air Museum will be closed until further notice as our family deals with this tragedy, and we appreciate your patience and respect for our privacy as we navigate through this difficult time," the museum wrote. 

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating what caused the crash. 

The NTSB told FOX 11 that an investigator would be at the scene on Sunday, and that the plane would be taken to a secure facility for investigation.

Yellowstone tourist sentenced to 7 days in jail over 'dangerous' caught-on-camera incident

Yellowstone National Park recently announced that one of its tourists was sentenced to one week in jail after trespassing into a "dangerous" geothermal area.

The national park, which is mostly located in Wyoming, shared a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release about the sentencing on June 13. Lynwood, Washington, resident Viktor Pyshniuk was handed a seven-day jail sentence over the trespassing incident.

Officials say the 21-year-old man wandered away from the boardwalk area at Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone's Norris Geyser Basin during his visit. According to the DOJ, the Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest active geyser and is "the most dangerous" geyser in the world.

"It has erratic and unpredictable eruptions that can rise anywhere from six to 300 feet high," officials said.

TOURISTS FILMED BRAZENLY DESTROYING ANCIENT ROCK FORMATIONS AT NEVADA'S LAKE MEAD: 'SEND THEM TO JAIL'

According to the DOJ, a National Park Service (NPS) employee had reported seeing someone "walking off the boardwalk" near the geyser. Pyshniuk reportedly told the NPS officer that he was trying to get pictures of the hot spring.

"The employee had taken a photo of the defendant who had clearly crossed over the fence and was walking up the hillside within 15-20 feet of Steamboat Geyser’s steam vent," the DOJ explained. "When contacted, Pyshniuk told the officer he left the boardwalk to take photos."

"While speaking with Pyshniuk, the officer showed him the signs posted throughout the area stating it is illegal to leave the boardwalk and explained that walking in a thermal area is very dangerous due to possible weak ground layer, the geothermal features of mud pots, heated steam and water, and all other dangers associated with walking in a heated, unpredictable geothermal area."

In addition to his jail sentence, Pyshniuk was also ordered to pay $1,550 in fines and has been placed on two years of unsupervised release. The man is also banned from Yellowstone National Park for two years.

TOURIST DEFACES ANCIENT ROMAN WALL ON VACATION, ANGERING ITALIAN AUTHORITIES

Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick designed the sentence to "deter [Pyshniuk], specifically, but also the public from leaving the boardwalk in this area."

"She expressed her concern that the defendant’s actions were seen by the people around him, and they might have thought it was okay to do the same thing," the DOJ said. "And if every visitor to [Yellowstone] disobeyed the rules, the park would be destroyed, and no-one would be able to enjoy it."

Acting United States Attorney Eric Heimann said in a statement that trespassing into thermal areas of Yellowstone is "dangerous and harms the natural resource."

"In cases like this one where we have strong evidence showing a person has willfully disregarded signs and entered a closed, thermal area, federal prosecutors will seek significant penalties, including jail time," Heimann said.