2 Believed Dead in Crash of Small Plane
Two people were feared dead Thursday in the crash of a small plane shortly after takeoff in Riverside County, authorities said.
The unidentified aircraft went down about a mile west of Corona Municipal Airport near Prado Dam, said Diana Joubert, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The cause of the crash was unclear, and the identities of the victims were not released.
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating, Joubert said.
Officials said they learned of a downed plane about 2:30 p.m., between California 91 and California 71 within the Prado Dam area. “The deputies on the ground in patrol cars were able to pinpoint the area based on the smoke,” Sheriff’s Department spokesman Dennis Gutierrez said.
Officers were unable to immediately reach the woodsy, swampy area where the wreckage was believed to be. “It appeared that no one survived, judging from the reports,” Gutierrez said.
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