Gallegly Partner, Woman Killed in Reno Plane Crash

A Simi Valley man who was a business partner and close friend of Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) was killed along with his girlfriend Friday when their twin-engine plane crashed in a pasture near Reno Cannon International Airport in Nevada.

Michael B. Schweitzer, 50, was piloting the Cessna 414 aircraft when it landed short of the runway, hit a haystack in a nearby field and burst into flames shortly after 2 p.m. The plane had just taken off when Schweitzer told the control tower that he wanted to return to the airport because snow was limiting visibility.

Schweitzer and his passenger, Michal E. Rothschild, a 47-year-old Thousand Oaks woman, died in the crash, authorities said.

Gallegly’s wife, Janice, said the couple have known Schweitzer for many years and that Gallegly, who also is a pilot, had flown with him on several occasions. Janice Gallegy said she met Schweitzer in 1968 when she began working at TECO Escrow, which Schweitzer owned.

Elton Gallegly, who operated a real estate company in Simi Valley before being elected to Congress in 1986, conducted at least 30 real estate transactions with Schweitzer’s company and eventually became good friends with him, Janice Gallegly said.

The two men continued to own a commercial office building on Erringer Road in Simi Valley and have stayed in close contact despite Gallegly’s schedule in Washington, D.C., Janice Gallegly said.

She said her husband was at their Simi Valley home Friday night, but was too upset over Schweitzer’s death to talk with reporters. Schweitzer has two grown children and was in the process of divorcing his wife, Marcie, Janice Gallegly said.

Schweitzer and Rothschild were returning from a trip to Idaho, where they were inspecting property owned by Schweitzer, Janice Gallegly said. They stopped to refuel in Reno before resuming their trip home, she said.

A dog and a cat on board survived the crash and were taken to a veterinarian.