Sacramento County officials have identified Ronnie Metcalf, a 70-year-old West Sacramento resident, as the man who tragically died following a small plane crash on Christmas Eve. The crash occurred on December 24, 2025, involving a 1966 fixed-wing single-engine aircraft that had departed from Rio Linda Airport before crashing in a large field west of Sacramento McClellan Airport.
According to the McClellan Airport manager, two men were aboard the plane at the time of the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that Metcalf, the passenger, was the individual who succumbed to his injuries. The pilot of the aircraft survived the crash and was unharmed.
The Sacramento Fire Department responded quickly to the scene after the crash was reported. Firefighters found Metcalf trapped inside the wreckage of the plane and immediately began efforts to free him. Due to the severity of the crash, fire crews had to cut through the wreckage to extricate the passenger. Initially, it was believed that Metcalf had died at the scene, but CPR was administered, and his pulse was revived. Despite these efforts, it was later confirmed that Metcalf passed away from his injuries, though the exact time of his death has not been released.
Emergency responders transported Metcalf to an ambulance after retrieving him from the wreckage, but unfortunately, his injuries proved fatal. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the FAA and local authorities. While it is unclear what caused the plane to crash, officials are working to piece together the events leading up to the tragic incident.
The crash has left the local community shaken, as Metcalf was known by friends and family as a kind and gentle person. Tributes from loved ones and the local aviation community have poured in, remembering him as someone who had a deep passion for flying.
