3 die in Big Bear plane crash
Ex-West Covina resident among victims
By Fred Ortega
A former West Covina resident has apparently died in a fiery plane crash, less than a month after taking over for one of ill-fated pilot Tyler Stanger's clients. Danny Stokes, 52, was flying a twin-engine Cessna early Tuesday when it crashed on the shoreline of Big Bear Lake, said West Covina Councilman Mike Touhey, citing Stokes' family members. The crash also killed the plane's owner, identified by San Bernardino County Coroner's officials as Bob Cartwright, 68, of Sugarloaf, and a third passenger identified by friends and news reports as Bob McNutt, president of the Big Bear Airport board. Ben Fitlin, parts manager at Detroit Auto Body in Covina, which was owned by Stokes, said family members had notified employees of Stokes' death.
"We are all in limbo," said Fitlin, adding that the Stokes family had asked staffers to refrain from making further comments to the media until the family made a statement.
Stanger, 26, a Walnut resident, died along with New York Yankees pitcher and Glendora resident Cory Lidle, 34, in a plane crash Oct. 11 in Manhattan. Stanger had been Cartwright's personal pilot, said Cartwright's friend, Rod Watkins.
"Bob had his pilot's license, but he didn't have his medical clearance," said Watkins, the general manager of the Big Bear City Community Services District.
He added that both he and Cartwright were supposed to be on the New York flight with Stanger and Lidle, but neither could make the trip.
