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Pilot killed in mid-air collision near San Francisco identified

The wreckage of a Cessna downed in mid-air collision near San Francisco is now in the hands of federal safety investigators.

By Frances Burns
A Hawker Sea Fury like the one involved in a mid-air collision near San Francisco performs above the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 2006. (UPI Photo/Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell)
A Hawker Sea Fury like the one involved in a mid-air collision near San Francisco performs above the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 2006. (UPI Photo/Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell) | License Photo

SAN FRANCISCO, May 1 (UPI) -- The pilot killed in a mid-air collision near San Francisco between his 1965 Cessna and a vintage fighter was identified Thursday as an aircraft mechanic.

The body of David Plumb, 33, of Rocklin, Calif., 22 miles east of Sacramento, was found in 13 feet of water in San Pablo Bay off Richmond, authorities said. His plane has also been recovered.

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Plumb was flying east Sunday in formation with a Hawker Sea Fury TMK 20 with a married couple on board. Both planes had been at the Pacific Coast Dream Machines show in Half Moon Bay and were apparently flying in formation with a third plane.

The Hawker, a British fighter dating from the early 1950s, landed about 40 minutes later at Eagle's Nest Airport. The couple were not injured and the plane apparently suffered no serious damage.

Officials said that the investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board will examine the Cessna and try to put it together to determine what caused the crash.

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