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Tulare plane wreckage moved from crash site

Posted at 2:11 PM, Feb 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-12 20:54:15-05

The wreckage from the plane crash near Springville was moved from the crash site Friday morning. 

A recovery specialist was at the site at seven Friday morning collecting the remains of Sheriff One, the plane that crashed Wednesday night into the side of the hill near Springville.

Sheriff One was assisting deputies on the ground with a chase prior to the crash and was heading back to regular patrol duties when the crash happened.

Deputy Scott Ballantyne, 52, who had been with the Tulare County Sheriff's Department for 27 years and Pilot James Chavez who was a former Black Hawk pilot died in the crash. 

Tulare County Sheriff's officials tell 23ABC the wreckage will be transported to Pheonix, Arizona where it will be placed in a storage facility.

NTSB has not commented on the investigation or any preliminary causes for the crash. 

This crash is just the latest in a string of crashes during the last two months. 

In early December a SkyLife helicopter crashed shortly after leaving from the Porterville Airport. The pilot, paramedic, nurse and patient on board were all killed. 

Officials say there was no distress call and so far no cause of the crash has been released. 

Less than two weeks later, a single-engine plane made a mayday call just after four thirty in the afternoon. 

The plane crashed in southwest Bakersfield, killing the family of five on board. 

The FAA has still not released results from the crash. 

Last night in Bakersfield, pilots and others who work directly with the airport listened closely to instructors discussing the importance of communication between air traffic control and pilots. 

One person in the audience asked what happens when a pilots radar is lost. 

"We try to reach you. If we don't reach you we try going through pilots, can you reach them on the frequency? We try to go to other airports around the area and then if we can't find you, we call LA center and we send out search and rescue."

All three crashes remain under investigation. 

NTSB has not commented on Wednesday's crash and it is unclear how long it willbe before a preliminary report is released.