Victims’ names released after sheriff says 4 die in helicopter crash in Colusa County

Four people were killed when a helicopter crashed Sunday afternoon in Colusa County, according to officials.

A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email to The Sacramento Bee that a Robinson R66 helicopter with four people on board crashed about 1:15 p.m. in “a remote area.”

The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office later released a statement saying that the helicopter went down near Highway 45 at Reservation Road, nearly 7 miles north of the city of Colusa. First responders found the four occupants dead in a tomato field.

“The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the scene along with interviewing persons who may have seen the helicopter crash,” officials said.

On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post it identified three of those onboard as William Bernard Vann, 67, Suzanne Marie Vann, 60, and Bobbie Lee Keaton, 62, who are all from Williams, California. The fourth person was identified as Charles Thomas Wilson, 71, of Rocklin.

It was unclear who was piloting the craft. Officials say the cause of death is undetermined at this time and autopsies are pending.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

This story was originally published August 1, 2021 at 3:00 PM.