Rohnert Park man among two killed in stunt plane crash near Las Vegas

A Rohnert Park man was one of two people killed Saturday when a stunt plane crashed outside of Las Vegas.

Steve Peterson, 32, was the passenger in a single-engine Extra EA300 aircraft operated by a Nevada company called Sky Combat Ace. The company specializes in taking tourists on acrobatic stunt flights.

In a statement provided to The Press Democrat late Monday, Peterson’s family said their “hearts are broken at the news of this tragic loss.” Peterson’s wife, Leah, is pregnant with their first child.

“Steve’s spirit brought so much love, joy, laughter, and happiness to all those he encountered,” the statement said. “Steve was a genuine friend, loving brother and son, and a devoted husband expecting the arrival of his first child. He touched so many lives during his time, and he will forever be remembered and greatly missed.”

The two-person plane took off from Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas around 4 p.m. Saturday with Peterson and a pilot onboard, according to news reports.

In a statement made to Las Vegas-area news organizations, officials with the parent company of Sky Combat Ace, Vegas Extreme Adventures, said that after the plane failed to return to the airport, employees notified air traffic control and began a search.

The crash site was discovered at about 4:45 p.m. about 15 miles southwest of the airport, near a dry lakebed called Jean Lake. An official with Vegas Extreme Adventures said the plane made no distress calls, to the company’s knowledge.

The company’s website indicates the tour package allows the passenger to fly the plane at a point during the flight. A company spokeswoman said it is unclear whether Peterson or the instructor was flying at the time of the crash.

“I cannot say who was in control at the time of the accident, as that would be speculation,” company spokeswoman Megan Fazio said Monday. “We won’t have the results until the FAA releases them following the completion of the investigation.”

Both Peterson and his pilot, Benjamin Anderson Soyars III, 37, of Las Vegas, were pronounced dead at the crash scene.

On its website, Sky Combat Ace describes Soyars as a veteran pilot with a background in competition and airshow flying.

A call to the company Monday went straight to voicemail and a message said the offices are “temporarily closed until May 9.”

Fazio, the company spokeswoman, said the crash happened as the plane was returning to the airport.

Vegas Extreme Adventures company released a statement following the crash.

“On behalf of all Vegas Extreme Adventures employees and staff, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and have been affected by this unfortunate accident,” the statement reads. “Vegas Extreme Adventures is working closely and cooperating with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause of the accident.”

Vegas Extreme Adventurers has been in operation since 2011, and has had more than 15,000 incident-free flights in the past five years, according to the company’s statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating. Records show the aircraft, built in 2011, was categorized for normal and acrobatic flights and that its certification was current.

Staff writer Christi Warren and the Associated Press contributed to this report.