Pilot dies after small plane crashes in Southern California
Riverside Police and Fire Department crews vehicles are seen near the site of a small plane crash on Robinson Street in the La Sierra area in Riverside, Calif., Saturday, March 16, 2019. (Brian Rokos/The Orange County Register via AP)
Neighbors, Josh Nunnally, left, and Albert Ortega explain that they thought the pilot was fighting the wind before crashing in Riverside, Calif., Saturday, March 16, 2019. (Brian Rokos/The Orange County Register via AP)
Riverside Fire Department crews arrive at the scene of a small plane crash on Robinson Street in La Sierra area in Riverside, Calif., Saturday, March 16, 2019. (Brian Rokos/The Orange County Register via AP)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A pilot has died after a small plane crashed into the backyard of a Southern California house.
A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the twin-engine Beechcraft BE50 crashed in Riverside shortly before noon Saturday after the pilot reported engine issues.
Riverside Fire Capt. Brian Guzzetta told the Press-Enterprise no one on the ground was injured and debris from the plane caused minor damage to nearby homes.
Guzzetta said the plane caught on fire, and the flames did not spread to the house.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane was flying to the town of Apple Valley from Chino, located east of Los Angeles.
The National Transportation and Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.
