Bodies, Wreckage From O.C. Takeoff Found

Fresno County sheriff’s deputies have recovered the remains of two bodies amid the wreckage of a private plane that crashed after taking off from John Wayne Airport last week, authorities said Saturday.

Deputies, aided by air searches from the Civil Air Patrol, found the crash site Friday morning in a mountainous area about 13 miles northwest of Coalinga, officials said. Snowfall prohibited rescue teams from entering the area until Saturday morning.

The identities of the pilot and the passenger had not been confirmed Saturday, sheriff’s officials said. The plane was torn apart, and the bodies were burned and dismembered, making identification difficult, said Lt. Bob McDonald of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.

Coroner officials said they believe the pilot and passenger of the plane were from Lincoln, Calif., a town north of Sacramento.

The Cessna 210 left John Wayne Airport on Tuesday morning, said Lt. Col. Fred Beelby of the Civil Air Patrol. The plane was reported missing later that day after failing to reach Lincoln, Beelby said. The air patrol began searching Wednesday.

It was unclear why the plane crashed, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, McDonald said.