Music Community Mourns Sacramento Pilot Involved In Deadly Plane Crash With 3 Family Members

2 years ago 303

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The aviator successful a deadly level clang successful Central California implicit the play had much than a passionateness for flying. Dave Chelini, 78, leaves down 2 communities mourning him and his talents.

“It’s benignant of devastating for everyone here,” said Augustine Joseph, CEO of Advanced International Aviation Academy. “It’s unspeakable I can’t adjacent imagine. I couldn’t slumber yesterday. I was waking up each fewer hours to deliberation astir this. It was a shock.”

Joseph is inactive stunned to larn astir the nonaccomplishment of a chap aviator and bully friend.

“He has been a aviator for galore many years, much than I tin retrieve oregon earlier I was born. He has truthful overmuch acquisition and an exceptional aviator arsenic I know,” said Joseph.

Joseph was astatine the airdrome erstwhile Chelini took disconnected with his 2 daughters — Karen Baker, 46, and Donna Chelini, 48 — and his nephew Steven Chelini, 58. Tulare County sheriff’s investigators accidental their tiny level went down successful a tract conscionable westbound of Visalia Municipal Airport.

No 1 survived.

“I recognize present that that volition beryllium the past clip I ever play with Dave and determination volition ne'er beryllium different Dave Chelini,” said Jim Shoemaker.

Aside from flying, Chelini had a passionateness for playing the accordion. Shoemaker says Chelini stood retired successful the assemblage arsenic a euphony person who was a dedicated teacher to students who were some children and adults. Now, Shoemaker mourns a chap musician.

“There’s not a batch of america left. It’s a antithetic epoch now. The accordion was our definite connection,” said Shoemaker.

A acold and dreary nighttime acceptable the code astatine the Sacramento Executive Airport aft the household of 4 ne'er made it back.

“He would sojourn maine present conscionable to speech astir euphony and aviation,” said Joseph. “He was a wholly full beauteous quality being.”

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Chelini was flying a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza. There’s nary telling what caused it to spell down. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are some investigating.