Two hurt when small plane crashes in field a couple of miles from Modesto Airport

Two people were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries after their small plane crashed just east of the Modesto Airport on Sunday afternoon.

At about 12:44 p.m., airport personnel notified Stanislaus Regional 911 of the crash, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Luke Schwartz said.

Just prior, dispatch scanner traffic said the pilot had communicated being low on fuel and intending to land in a field. The field was in the area of Finch Road and Codoni Avenue, less than 2 miles from the airport.

After the crash, another aircraft bound for the airport spotted the crash site and relayed information to the airport tower until fire and medical responders reached the scene, Schwartz said.

The plane is a North American T-6, the sergeant said. Both occupants — one male, one female — were standing near the plane when emergency responders arrived.

“At this time, the cause of the crash is unknown and under investigation,” Schwartz said.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the pilot as David Murray, 51, of the city of Ione in Amador County. His passenger is Carol Glakeler, 56, also of Ione.

An internet search for the plane make and model indicates it is a North American T-6 Texan, a single-engine aircraft used to train U.S. and British pilots during World War II and into the 1970s.

The website of the National Museum of World War II Aviation says it “remains a popular warbird aircraft used for airshow demonstrations and static displays.”