A catastrophic small-plane crash near the Smith Ranch Airport in San Rafael resulted in the death of one occupant and left another critically injured on the night of July 8, 2023, as reported by KRON4. The tragedy carried significant local impact, with a power outage affecting nearly 2,000 PG&E customers in the vicinity for a period of time, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

The Marin County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Marc Pankin, 59, of Novato, while Kirk Harford of San Rafael, who was later airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, remains in critical condition. Pankin and Harford were flying from Minden, Nevada, when their plane's tail fin struck the power lines and crashed in the marshlands, making emergency crews' access challenging, KRON4 reported.

Witnesses told authorities that they had seen a "bright flash of light in the sky" and a plane hitting power lines, the Marin County Sheriff's Office informed. Resident Mary Hanley, who lives near the crash site, mentioned a "dull boom" and sparks shooting "sideways," fearing that it might spark a fire. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the county coroner’s office, and the National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the tragic incident, urging witnesses to contact them at 415-479-2311.

This recent catastrophe marks the fourth deadly plane crash in Marin County within a span of nine years. On May 6, 2022, another small-plane accident occurred in the Marin Headlands, resulting in the death of two flyers, Sacramento residents Michael B. Briare, 57, and Jennifer Lyn Fox, 52, according to the Marin Independent Journal. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation has not yet reached completion, it was noted that heavy fog near Golden Gate made the conditions difficult for the aircraft at the time.

On September 7, 2017, a Cessna 172N crashed in the Point Reyes National Seashore near Bolinas, as per the FAA data. The single pilot, John Rowland Wilson, 58, of Houston, Texas, was on a journey from Santa Ynez Airport to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport when the plane went down. Federal investigators attributed the crash's probable cause to the pilot's improper decision to embark on a flight and continue to fly into forecasted challenging weather conditions.

A Beechcraft V35B Bonanza plane's crash near Novato on August 18, 2014, serves as another tragic example within the area. The pilot, Robert John Madge, 51, of Redwood City, was heading from Brookings, Oregon, to San Carlos Airport and attempted an emergency landing at the Marin County Airport at Gnoss Field when the plane lost power. In this instance, the National Transportation Safety Board attributed the incident to the instrument-rated pilot's decision to conduct a visual approach to the airport in night, instrument meteorological conditions that resulted in controlled flight into terrain.