A single-engine plane was flying from Southern California to Prescott when it crashed north of Prescott Valley earlier this week, killing the pilot, according to federal aviation officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a Socata TB21 crashed near Prescott around 8 p.m. on February 4 with only the pilot on board. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with assistance from the FAA.
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a downed aircraft in Prescott Valley near Poquito Valley Road, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office said authorities, with assistance from Native Air, located the wreckage in a clearing. The pilot was the only passenger on the plane and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Cameron “Cam” English (right) is seen with his brother Tony English in an undated photo provided by the family.
“He drained the juice out of life”
The pilot was identified as 64-year-old Cameron “Cam” English after the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office confirmed his identity on Feb. 7.
Cam’s brother, Tony English, 67, told The Arizona Republic that Cam was known for his colorful personality, love of adventure and curiosity.
“He sucked the life out of him,” Tony said. “He was always the life of the party.”
Tony said Cam was returning home to the Prescott area after a brief trip to California when the plane crashed.
Cam worked in electronics manufacturing and traveled frequently, his brother said.
Tony said Cam leaves behind a wife and three sons.
Two days before the accident, Tony English said he had lunch with his brother in his hometown of Southern California, where Tony said he told his brother how much he admired him. “I feel like you’re like a big brother to me. I look up to you,” Tony said. “I’m excited to talk to him.”
Tony said the loss has devastated family and friends. “Everyone was shocked,” he said. “How could someone so alive die?”
Tony said he and his brother had flown together many times over the years.
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Flight tracking data shows the plane took off from Santa Ana, California, and was bound for Prescott Regional Airport before the crash. The data did not indicate the cause of the crash.
The plane was bound for Prescott Regional Airport, which serves general aviation traffic and commercial flights to Phoenix, according to public aviation tracker FlightRadar24.
Investigators have not released information about what caused the crash.
The Socata TB21 Trinidad is a single-engine, four-seat aircraft typically used for personal and cross-country flying, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
A fatal day for Arizona’s aviation industry
The crash occurred the same night as another serious aviation accident in Arizona, when a state Department of Public Safety helicopter assisting police in a shooting crashed in Flagstaff, killing two people on board.
February 4 was the deadliest day for Arizona’s aviation industry in more than a month, following a helicopter crash in Superior in early January that killed four members of a family.
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(This story has been updated with new information and photos.)
Rey Covarrubias Jr. covers business and breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send him an email: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and contact him Instagram, Number of threads, blue sky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared in The Arizona Republic: Prescott Valley plane crash adds to deadly Arizona aviation days