Two Die in Small Plane Crash at Petaluma Airport

Two people are dead after a small plane burst into flames just minutes after leaving the runway at Petaluma Municipal Airport in Sonoma County on Wednesday morning. Authorities confirmed the crash happened around 10:45 a.m. local time on Oct. 7, turning a routine flight into a tragedy near Rooster Run Golf Course.

Aerial footage captured by FOX 2 San Francisco showed scattered wreckage and scorched earth where the Van's RV-7A went down. Petaluma police stated that both occupants perished in the incident. When emergency crews arrived on the scene, Lt. Zilverio Rivera described the aircraft as "fully engulfed in fire."

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken charge of the investigation with help from the Federal Aviation Administration. An investigator was set to reach the site Thursday to document the debris before officials move the plane to a secure location for closer study. Investigators will comb through flight tracking data, air traffic control recordings, maintenance logs, weather reports, pilot experience records, and witness accounts to piece together what went wrong.

Gary McClintock, who happened to be playing golf nearby when the disaster unfolded, saw something terrifying take place seconds after the plane lifted off. "All of a sudden, the engine kind of stops, sputtering a little bit," McClintock told reporters as he recounted his shock. He watched the pilot dive and attempt a return to the airport, hearing the throttle kick in one last time before the craft plummeted into a ball of flames.

The Van's RV-7A is listed by the FAA as an eligible amateur-built aircraft kit. While a preliminary report should arrive within 30 days, officials warn that identifying the probable cause could take between 12 and 24 months. Fox News Digital tried to reach the Petaluma Police Department for more details but had not received further information at press time. A post-impact fire erupted immediately after the crash, according to an NTSB spokesperson speaking to Fox News Digital.