Military Plane Crashes in O.C. Forest
A military training plane crashed Wednesday night in the Cleveland National Forest about nine miles from the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, authorities said. Both people on board were believed dead.
About 8:20 p.m., the military air base tower radioed the Orange County Fire Authority that the small propeller-driven aircraft was going down and requested rescue help, Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Richard Paddock said. Because of the unpaved roads in the remote canyon area, it took rescue crews almost an hour to reach the crash site near Maple Springs Road, Paddock said.
A Fire Authority crew extinguished a small brush fire created by the crash, Paddock said.
Authorities were investigating the cause of the crash and late Wednesday did not know where the flight originated or where it was headed.
The downed plane, called a T-34, is a two-seat aircraft used for military training.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
