Downed aircraft near Boulder CityBOULDER CITY, NV (FOX5) -
Two people died Friday when a Czech-made jet aircraft crashed in a desert area southeast of the Boulder City Airport.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Boulder City police Chief Thomas Finn tells FOX5 the plane appeared to have lost power just after takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a single-engine Aero Vodochody L 39, a combat plane that is also popular for recreational flying.
The L39 Albatross, as it was commonly known, has its roots in the former Czechoslovakia in the 1960s and was used by air forces in communist countries during the Cold War.
It is known as the most widely used jet trainer in the world, having been used by more than 30 air forces.
In the past 20 years, the L39 has become popular with private owners and used at air shows.
It also has a history of crashes. Since 1998, one website documented 19 crashes, including one at the Reno Air Races in 2007 that killed the pilot.
Photographs taken by FOX5's Les Krifaton showed the aircraft was largely intact and resting on its belly.
The plane's registered owner has been identified as Walter Woltosz of Palmdale, CA. The NTSB will not begin investigating the scene of the crash until Saturday.
The NTSB is expected to arrive on Saturday to begin an investigation.
Stay with FOX5 for updates to this breaking news.
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