Pilot killed when small plane crashes on California peak

October 5, 2022 GMT

JAMUL, Calif. (AP) — A pilot was killed when a small plane crashed into a rocky mountain slope in Southern California, authorities said.

Rescue crews responded around midday Tuesday after a resident reported seeing a plane in distress near Jamul in eastern San Diego County, said Cal Fire Capt. Thomas Shoots.

A sheriff’s helicopter crew spotted debris in a remote area northeast of Lyons Peak and searchers on the ground were eventually able to reach the crash site.

The aircraft had broken into many pieces and rescuers found human remains, confirming that at least one person had died in the crash, Shoots told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot was the only person aboard the single-engine Mustang II.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.