At Least 2 Die in Crash of Small Plane North of Santa Barbara
A small plane crashed in the Sierra Madre Mountains north of Santa Barbara, killing two people and possibly a third, officials said Thursday.
The wreckage of the Piper PA-32R, which had been flying from Bakersfield to Santa Barbara, was spotted Thursday morning in the San Rafael Wilderness area about 17 miles north of Santa Barbara, according to Federal Aviation Administration officials. The plane had left Bakersfield about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, the FAA said.
The cause of the crash had not been determined.
Two people were confirmed dead and there could be a third, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department said. Names will not be released until the families have been notified. The plane is registered to J.P. III Enterprises Inc. in Santa Barbara.
Officials said the wife of one victim had filed a missing persons report Wednesday evening with the Santa Barbara Police Department after her husband failed to arrive at the airport as planned.
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