Plane Crashes on Mt. Pinos, Killing Pilot
A cargo plane that took off from Burbank Airport crashed and caught fire near the top of snow-covered Mt. Pinos in Kern County, killing the pilot, authorities said Friday.
Killed in the crash was Capt. Magnus Kander, 27, of La Habra Heights. No one else was on board.
The wreckage of the white and blue twin-engine aircraft was spotted a quarter of a mile south of the peak at 8,400 feet by Los Angeles County sheriff’s helicopters just before 8 a.m. Friday, authorities said.
The cargo plane was transporting bank documents from Burbank to Oakland for Ameriflight, an air cargo company based in Burbank, when it went down, said company spokeswoman Karen Seagle.
The Piper PA-31 was reported missing by Ameriflight workers less than an hour after it failed to arrive in Oakland at 1:05 a.m. Friday, said Federal Aviation Administrator spokesman Fred O’Donnell.
The pilot’s last contact with FAA traffic control tower was at 11:49 p.m. Thursday, about 20 minutes after taking off, said O’Donnell.
“There was no report that the pilot had any troubles,” O’Donnell said.
Kander, a native of Sweden, joined Ameriflight last year. He is survived by his wife, Lori, a flight attendant.
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