3 From Contra Costa Killed In Plane Crash Worked At Same Office

CONCORD, CA – Three of the five people who died in a plane crash in Southern California, on a small plane that left from the Concord airport on Sunday afternoon, worked in the same real estate office in Danville, according to the company.

The Orange County coroner has identified the victims as Scott Shepherd, 53, and Lara Shepherd, 42, both of Diablo, Floria Hakimi, 62, of Danville, Navid Hakimi, 32, of Los Angeles, and Nasim Ghanadan, 29, of Alamo.

Floria Hakimi, Lara Shepherd and Nasim Ghanadan were all realtors at the Danville office of Pacific Union International.

Scott Shepherd was Lara's husband and the pilot of the plane, while Navid Hakimi was Floria's son.

"Our entire Pacific Union family is mourning the loss of our colleagues, family and friends," Pacific Union chief executive officer Mark McLaughlin said in a statement. "Life is precious and we are focused on
comforting the loved ones affected by this devastating event."

According to the coroner, the plane crashed around 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a Staples store in Santa Ana. The Cessna 414 aircraft took off earlier Sunday from Buchanan Field Airport in Concord and was registered to San Francisco-based Category III Aviation Corp., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The crash of the twin-engine plane, which was manufactured in 1973, did not injure anyone on the ground in Santa Ana, authorities said.

There were no injuries on the ground with one car in the crowded parking lot hit and destroyed, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito.

"I don't know anything about what this pilot did or what he was thinking, but it could have been much more tragic," Bommarito said. "This was a Sunday afternoon and we have people shopping, so the fact that we have no injuries on the ground is a miracle in itself. "

FAA officials said someone on the plane declared an emergency before crashing. The crash is being investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

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A Cessna aircraft that took off from Concord's Buchanan Airport crashed in a Santa Ana parking lot Sunday, killing all five on board, including four from Contra Costa County, authorities said.

The Orange County coroner has identified the victims as Scott Shepherd, 53, and Lara Shepherd, 42, both of Diablo, Floria Hakimi, 62, of Danville, Navid Hakimi, 32, of Los Angeles, and Nasim Ghanadan, 29, of Alamo.

One victim, Ghanadan, was identified by family members as a Bay Area Realtor.

According to the coroner, Scott Shepherd was piloting the plane, which crashed around 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot in front of a Staples store in Santa Ana. The crash on Bristol Street across the street from the South Coast Plaza, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Orange County Fire Authority.

There were no injuries on the ground, with one car in the crowded parking lot hit and destroyed, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito.

"I don't know anything about what this pilot did or what he was thinking, but it could have been much more tragic," Bommarito said. "This was a Sunday afternoon and we have people shopping, so the fact that we have no injuries on the ground is a miracle in itself. "

The aircraft, a twin-engine, 1973 Cessna 414 with seven seats, was registered to San Francisco's Category III Aviation Corp., according to the FAA.

The aircraft declared an emergency before crashing, the FAA said. The FAA is investigating, and the National Safety Transportation Board will determine the cause of the accident.

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--Bay City News, City News and Hoa Quach contributed to this report/Photos via Pacific-International from top: Floria Hakimi; Nasim Ghanadan; Lara Shepherd. Santa Ana scene courtesy of Ellaphant