Tragedy: Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, died the day after he pleaded not guilty to hitting his partner . A pilot has commited suicide by  intentionally crashing his plane into a field in Northern California the day after pleading not guilty to domestic violence charges, authorities said Tuesday . Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, had been accused of physically assaulting his then-partner in February, and appeared Shasta County Superior Court in Redding on Friday. Before the crash on Saturday, Stickler had sent text messages to friends and family indicating he was distraught and planned to kill himself. He had been charged with  felony count of making criminal threats and a misdemeanor battery charge, Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said. The charges stemmed from an argument in February in Redding, California, that escalated and became physical, Bridgett said. The alleged victim was living with Stickler at the time and reported an attack in their home. According to the police report, she claimed Stickler had gotten violent and then left their home, and that her cellphone had been destroyed in the process. She declined medical attention. Stickler killed himself by crashing into a pasture in in Millville, California, about 20miles from Redding, on Saturday morning, Shasta County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Reynolds said. Sheriff's officials responded to a report of an explosion around 8:30am and found a small debris field at the site where the single-engine Cessna crashed. There was no indication Stickler had wanted to hurt anyone else, Reynolds added. A former boss has spoken of his shock at hearing of Stickler's death and the domestic violence charges. Crash: It is believed Stickler intentionally crashed his Cessna plane into a field in California on Saturday, after texting family and friends that he was 'distraught' and planned on taking his own life . Jason Lamberton, chief operating officer at AFT Center Flight Training in Long Beach, California, where Stickler worked last year described him as a 'skilled trainer who had good rapport with students'. 'I'm absolutely shocked. There was nothing like that whatsoever in his behavior. 'The young man was very professional with what he did here. We were really happy with him.' Lamberton also said that Stickler had left the company in order for his girlfriend could pursue an opportunity elsewhere, and that he had offered to provide the 34-year-old with a reference. More recently, Stickler worked for Aperture Aviation, an aerial photography company, which extended its sympathies to his family and friends in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration has assigned two inspectors to the crash, one of whom may conduct an on-site inspection, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Pilot Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, charged with domestic violence .
Intentionally crashed plane into a field day after pleading not guilty .
Texted friends and family before crash of his plans to kill himself .
For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here .
For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here .