Families identify 3 who died in airplane crash

The three people who died when a small plane bound for San Jose crashed into homes in Southern California this week were a South Bay pilot, his wife and a 22-year-old woman, according to a relative and media reports.

Nouri Hijazi, 83, of San Jose, who was flying the plane, died along with his wife, 67-year-old Dana Hijazi, said Richard Pierce, son-in-law of the couple.

Pierce’s wife, Joanne Stacey Pierce, was one of two passengers who survived after the aircraft crashed into two homes on Monday shortly after taking off from Riverside Municipal Airport.

“She’s alive,” Pierce said of his wife by phone Wednesday. “I was just with her.”

The third person killed in the crash was identified at Adine Farelas by her brother, Brandon Farelas.

“She would always be there for me,” Brandon Farelas told KGO-TV. “I appreciate her so much. Now I realize exactly what I’m losing.”

Farelas said his mother, Silvia Farelas, survived the crash and was in the burn unit awaiting a second surgery.

Joanne Pierce was in stable condition and underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon, her husband said. Joanne Pierce’s mother, Dana Hijazi, is originally from Poland and her family is making arrangements to bring relatives to the United States to be at her side, Richard Pierce said.

All five passengers aboard the plane had been in Riverside for a weekend cheerleading competition at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, officials said.

Pierce said his daughter, who is in middle school, competed in the competition but took the bus back to San Jose with her cheerleading squad. She went back to school Wednesday, he said.

The aircraft — a T310Q Cessna manufactured in 1974 — was registered to Nouri Hijazi. A team with the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

The plane left Riverside Municipal Airport at 4:40 p.m. for Mineta San Jose International Airport but within minutes crashed into two homes on Rhonda Road less than 2 miles northeast of the runway.

About 60 firefighters responded and managed to pull two women from the flames and debris. One of the surviving woman had been thrown into one of the homes and had thirddegree burns over 90 percent of her body, fire officials said.

The two homes were damaged, but it did not appear any residents were inside at the time.