Small Plane Crash Kills Two In Tulare County, California

A sheriff’s deputy and a civilian pilot helping with the arrest of a man in Central California were killed when their single-engine plane crashed near Springville in Tulare County, authorities said. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux confirmed Deputy Scott Ballantyne and pilot James Chavez died when the two-seater plane crashed and burst into flames after hitting the side of a mountain. Boudreaux said the aircraft, which belonged to the Tulare County Sherriff’s Office, was leaving an area near Springville after assisting deputies in the arrest of a suspect who had brandished a weapon when the plane crashed.