He was the captain of a medical transport aircraft Crashed during a winter storm in NevadaAll five people on board were following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who piloted bombers in World War II, his brother said.
NTSB spokesman Peter Condson said Monday that the National Transportation Safety Board’s initial investigation into the cause of the crash Friday night will take two to three weeks.
The agency said the single-engine Pilatus PC-12 appeared to have broken up before hitting the ground about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Reno.
All five people on board died of multiple injuries in the crash near rural Stagecoach, including pilot Scott Walton, 46, of Allendale, Michigan, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office said Monday.
The other four victims are from Reno — 69-year-old patient Mark Rand and his 66-year-old wife Terri Rand, as well as two medical staff members, Edward Priccola, 32, and Ryan Watson, 27, the office said.
The office said the plane was traveling from Reno to Salt Lake City. It was not clear if the weather played a role in the accident. Officials did not mention Mark Rand’s medical condition.
Walton’s family set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his wife and three daughters.
One of his brothers, John Walton, a broadcaster in Washington, D.C. and a voice of the NHL’s Washington Capitals on WTOP radio, said on Twitter after calling Saturday’s game that he was grateful for the support his family had received from the community.
“I had to play the game today with a broken heart,” John Walton wrote. “Please keep my brother Scott, his wife Lisa, and their three beautiful daughters in your thoughts and prayers.”
Michael Walton, another brother, said Reno Gazette Journal That his brother had worked for years in marketing and was nearing 40 when he decided he wanted to be a pilot. He said their grandfather flew B-24s in World War II.
Michael Walton said his brother loves flying to help people with life-threatening medical needs.
“It gave him the greatest opportunity to help others,” he said. “He was proud of what he was doing.”
NTSB Vice President Bruce Landsberg said at a news conference in Carson City Sunday that investigators at the scene have already determined that the plane “crashed in flight” based on the location of parts of the plane found up to three-quarters of a mile away.
He said the plane was built in 2002.
National Transportation Safety Board
The accident occurred amid a winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service in Reno for swathes of Nevada, including parts of Lyon County. The snow was falling steadily with winds around 20 mph (30 km/h) and gusts up to 30 mph (50 km/h).
The service said visibility was less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) with a cloud ceiling 2,000 feet (600 meters) above the ground when the flight left Reno.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft has been registered with Guardian Flight, which is based in South Jordan, Utah. Care Flight is a service of REMSA Health in Reno and Guardian Flight.
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