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By Phil Helsel
Family members of four people killed when a plane crashed into a home in Southern California on Sunday say they are “devastated” by the loss.
The four, who were on the ground when the twin-engine craft crashed in Yorba Linda, near Anaheim, were identified by Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials as Roy Lee Anderson, 85, and Dahlia Marlies Leber Anderson, 68, a married couple of Yorba Linda; Stacie Norene Leber, 48, of Corona; and Donald Paul Elliott, 58, of Norco.
The pilot and single occupant aboard the plane, Antonio Pastini, 75, of Gardnerville, Nevada, was also killed, authorities have said.
“Our family bond is tight, and each member lost in this tragedy represents more than just one role within our family,” the family said in a statement released by the sheriff’s department.
“We lost parents, grandparents, great-parents, spouses, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles. The home lost was a beacon for so many family and friends where many celebrations were held,” the family said. They asked for privacy at this time.
Elliot Simpson, an aviation accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, has said that the Cessna took off from nearby Fullerton at about 1:35 p.m. It climbed to about 7,800 feet and then “began a rapid descent,” he said.
The crash occurred around 10 minutes later, at 1:45 p.m., authorities have said.
The airplane appeared to break up in the latter stages of the flight, Simpson said. He said there was no report that the pilot made any distress calls before the crash.
Pastini had a badge identifying him as a former Chicago police officer, but the sheriff’’s department said Tuesday that they don’t believe the credentials are legitimate, and Chicago police said he was never a member of the force. The Federal Aviation Administration said it has no record of any accidents, incidents or enforcement actions against Pastini.
Pastini’s daughter, Julia Ackley, has told NBC Los Angeles that her father owned a sushi restaurant in Nevada and a tree farm in Oregon. She described him as an experienced pilot who had flown for decades.
“I just love him more than anything,” she told the station. “I miss him more than anything.”