NTSB issues final report in January 2020 Auburn plane crash that killed 2

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released the final report Friday regarding the Jan. 24, 2020, plane crash involving a Stinson Vultee V-77 airplane minutes after it departed the Auburn Municipal Airport. The report confirms the NTSB determined the probable cause of the incident to be, "A total loss of engine power due to a combination of mechanical engine anomalies. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance that failed to identify the engine anomalies." According to the report, an annual inspection was completed on the airplane two months before the accident and should have identified the anomalies. The NTSB's factual report released May 4 noted issues with the engine's cylinders and metal debris found inside the engine. "The culmination of these issues most likely led to the engine running rough, backfiring and subsequently losing total power," the report reads. The plane departed Auburn Municipal Airport at about 9:45 a.m. Jan. 24, 2020, and crashed just after 10 a.m. near Black Oak Golf Course and Dry Creek Road in Auburn. Anthony Lawrence Wright Sr. and Anthony Lawrence Wright Jr. were killed and a third passenger, identified only as Nick by the Placer County Sheriff's Office, sustained a dislocated hip, broken sternum, cracked collarbone and several other broken bones. According to the NTSB's investigation dashboard, the investigation of the crash is now complete.