A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Northern California near Napa Valley Sunday, injuring 87 — 3 critically — and causing extensive damage, including fires sparked by burst gas lines, in the largest tremor to rock the Bay Area since the magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta quake in 1989.
Leslie Gordon of the U.S. Geological Survey says the tremor struck just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday local time, about 10 miles northwest of American Canyon, which is about 6 miles southwest of Napa.
The city of Napa said in a statement Sunday that two adults and one child have critical injuries, and Queen of the Valley hospital in Napa reported treating 87 people. Hospital spokeswoman Vanessa DeGier says most patients have cuts, bumps, bruises.
Officials say widespread power outages have been reported in Sonoma County.
A young pilot was forced to fight off a 82-year-old passenger who allegedly tried to grab the plane's controls and cut out its engine during a flight.
The pilot has now been hailed a hero after he managed to land the light aircraft in a field despite the mid-air drama over New South Wales in Australia.
The single-engine aircraft was travelling from Sydney to Cowra yesterday after the passenger had booked the flight with Australia By Air.
ABC News reported that the pensioner claimed he needed to go to the rural town to sign some papers.
But as the plane was mid-air, it is alleged the OAP flicked a switch in the cockpit to shut down the engine.
I'm glad the pilot fought for his life as well as the lives of others from this rude and animalistic passenger. I'm sorry but any self righteous passenger who thinks he has the right to dictate where a plane should go and then physically try to take the controls away from the pilot exhibits animalistic behavior to me. If the passenger needed to go to a specific destination, then perhaps he should have saved up enough money for a private plane. I can't stand these types of passengers. I've been around them many times. They are the ones always complaining, confrontational, verbally aggressive and demand to be treated like royalty - especially if they are in first class. Sighs.