Oakley official, 3 others die in plane crash
Four Oakley residents, including a candidate for Contra Costa County supervisor, are missing and presumed dead after a single-engine plane crash outside Las Vegas Saturday afternoon.
Family, friends and colleagues of Erik Nunn, chairman of the Oakley Planning Commission and a candidate for District 5 supervisor, and his wife Tanya mourned the couple at their home Sunday after news that Nunn's single-engine Piper Cherokee plane had crashed in flames.
The couple had flown to Las Vegas on Thursday to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary, along with their neighbors Michele and Craig Wilson, who were also celebrating an anniversary, said James Frazier, a friend and fellow planning commissioner.
They were due to return to Byron Airport about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, said Frazier, and when they didn't arrive as expected, relatives called airport officials and learned of the crash.
A Piper Cherokee that left North Las Vegas airport bound for Byron crashed on Mount Charleston, 40 miles northwest of Las Vegas about 2:45 p.m. after striking power lines, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. The plane burned after crashing and all four passengers were killed, Gregor said.
Authorities did not immediately release the names of the dead. Frazier said authorities were planning to use dental records to confirm the identities.
The crash is under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, Gregor said.
The burning plane sparked a wildfire in Nevada that burned 12 acres of dry brush and trees and threatened nearly 40 homes, Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Kirsten Cannon told the Associated Press.
The Nunns leave behind four children, Elorah, Nikolette, Tezianna and Ethan, who range in age from 4 to 9, friends said. The Wilsons - he was a BART police officer and she was a flight attendant - leave three children roughly between the ages of 3 and 14, Frazier said. All the children are being cared for by their grandparents, he said.
Erik Nunn, 37, grew up in Brentwood, served in the Marines and received a bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College in Moraga, according to his campaign Web site. He was a pastor with New Lifeline Ministries Church and led church trips to Mexico to build houses, the Web site said.
Nunn worked as an engineering firm executive and ran unsuccessfully for supervisor in 2004. He was appointed to the planning board in 2005 and in June came in second in a five-way race for supervisor. That put him into a runoff election with incumbent Federal Glover. It was not immediately clear how Nunn's death would affect the election, which is scheduled for November.
Colleagues on the Oakley Planning Commission spoke highly of Nunn's enthusiasm and integrity.
"It's a huge loss," said Iris Obregon, another commissioner. "He's an authentic person who's very passionate about his community. He was a very compassionate leader."
"He cared very deeply about Oakley and the people," said Commissioner David Huerta, who was working on Nunn's election campaign. "He was a good man to work with. He could listen, and our exchanges were always cordial. Even if we disagreed, there was no acrimony at all."
Huerta said Nunn decided to run for supervisor because he felt eastern Contra Costa County didn't have the political clout it deserved. He added that Tanya Nunn was actively involved in the campaign, frequently staffing the phone bank.
"She was a little shy but a very warm and caring person," Huerta said.
Commissioner Ed Person praised Nunn as an impassioned public servant and added that he was a conscientious airplane pilot.
"I've flown in the plane with him a couple of times, and he's pretty thorough in his flight plan," Person said. "He would always look for points of interest, roads and flat surfaces in case he needed to land. I understand there was a road very close to the crash. It's possible he could have been attempting to land on that road and clipped the power lines."
Frazier said he was still in shock at the news of the accident, but spent Saturday night with the Nunn family and much of Sunday notifying city officials of Nunn's death.
Oakley City Council members plan to establish accounts at Bank of the West today for the seven orphaned children in the Nunn and Wilson families, he said. Details will be posted on the city's Web site.
"I'd really like people to reach out and give these kids a helping hand. They're going to need it, and I'm not leaving them," Frazier said through tears. "It's times like this when I know the community comes together and helps. Erik was respected by all."
Craig and Michele were neighbors and good friends to my family. My sister has baby sat for them, I've paint a fence for them, my little brother and sister are best friends with their kids. Their son Ryan was on the same baseball team as my brother. My family was very close with them.
I honestly am having the hardest time trying to find words to say. They were good people and I am having a hard time realizing they are gone. Dare I say it, it makes me question my faith. They were only in their mid-30's with 3 kids. Craig told me once about his retirement plan! I don't know right now how God could this. (And by the way, don't leave comments saying God has a plan for this. I understand everything happens for a reason. You don't have to remind me of that).
This is a real tragedy, and I wont forget this for a while. Please keep their children in your prayers. And I will keep you posted on when they announce how you can donate to their children and if there is anything we can do to help.
Rest in Peace Craig, Michele, Erik, and Tanya.
