Redding man identified as pilot killed in Novato crash

A Redding man was identified Tuesday as the pilot who died last weekend when his plane crashed into a hangar in Novato.

Jeffrey Buren Khahling, 75, was the sole occupant of the plane, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

The crash of the burning single-engine plane at Gnoss Field Airport occurred at approximately 3:50 p.m. Saturday.

“Upon arrival, units were able to see the aircraft and hangar were fully engulfed in flames,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “At the time, it was unknown if there were any occupants still inside the aircraft.”

The flames spread to nearby vegetation and passersby warned officials about the presence of fuel tanks in neighbouring hangars.

The fire was extinguished and officials concluded that there was no one else on board the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

Staff writer Colin Atagi can be reached at [email protected]. He’s on Twitter @colin_atagi.