Brother of Riverside plane crash victim: She ‘would always be there for me’
The brother of one of three people killed in Monday’s crash of a private plane in a Riverside neighborhood has spoken out about his loss, according to local news reports.
Brandon Farelas told KGO-TV in San Francisco that his mother, Silvia, survived the crash, but that his 22-year-old sister, Adine, did not.
The five people aboard the Cessna T310Q were returning to San Jose on Monday afternoon after attending a cheerleading competition at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim. The plane crashed into a Riverside neighborhood shortly after takeoff, killing three occupants. No one on the ground was injured though several houses burned.
Authorities have yet to publicly identify the dead and injured.
“Even at times we didn’t get along so well, argue back and forth like brothers and sisters tend to, she would always be there for me,” 19-year-old Brandon Farelas said. “And now [I] realize exactly what it is I’m losing.”
Farelas said his mother and sister were returning from a competition in which his younger sister had participated. That sister returned to San Jose by bus with the rest of her team, he said.
Last week, Adine Farelas posted a photo to her Facebook page captioned, “Can’t wait for my little get away this weekend.” She tagged her mother Silvia in the post.
When asked where she was going, Adine Farelas replied, “My sisters cheer nationals in Disney land.”
Delmy Pennington, co-owner of the D&D Airport Cafe at Riverside Municipal Airport, said she saw the plane struggling to take off before delaying its departure amid heavy rain.
“It looked like the airplane didn’t start right, something was wrong,” Pennington said.
Later, after it stopped raining, the plane took off, Pennington said, but she was worried because the back of the plane was shaking.
Brandon Farelas said his mother was also uncomfortable flying in the rough weather.
The plane crashed about 4:40 p.m., causing a large fire that destroyed at least one home and damaged several others.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Authorities said a man, woman and teenage girl on board the plane were killed. Two other women were critically injured.
Brandon Farelas said his mother has had surgery on her arm and is being moved to the burn unit of the hospital where she is being treated to have a second surgery.
Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
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