Pilot found dead after glider crash near Avenal
The Kings County Sheriff's Office said the pilot of a wrecked glider was found dead around midnight Saturday.
At around 7:40 p.m., the office received a call about an overdue glider pilot from the Avenal Glider Port. The office along with Avenal police and Kings County Fire began a search around the Avenal Airport.
At about midnight, they located the wrecked plan and deceased pilot seven miles west of Avenal, office officials say.
The pilot was identified as Jan Zanutto, 59, of Fresno.
Sunday morning, a Kings County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher told The Bee that the last of law enforcement's efforts was the search. The accident was then passed along to the National Transportation Safety Board, which had not yet added the crash to its reports page.
Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado: 559-441-6304, @cres_guez
This story was originally published May 19, 2018 at 9:24 PM with the headline "Pilot found dead after glider crash near Avenal."