Pilot survives as small plane crashes in Rialto

The pilot of a small plane that crashed in a Rialto dirt field Saturday morning walked away with minor injuries, authorities said.

Don Benart, 70, was flying a 1969 Cessna when mechanical failure caused it to lose altitude at 10:43 a.m., said Rialto Police Lt. Craig Crispin.

Benart made an emergency landing in the field near Casmalia Street and Locust Avenue, just north of the 210 Freeway. When officers arrived, Benart was standing by the plane with minor injuries to his face, Crispin said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified of the crash.

—Susannah Rosenblatt

Catalina plane crash victims identified

Authorities have identified two of the three people killed in a plane crash Thursday on Catalina Island.

Marshall D. Goldberg, 39, of Florida and Amy Marie Judd, 25, of Idaho, are believed to be the two passengers who died in the plane crash on a remote hilltop area on the western side of the island, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said today.

A search-and-rescue team found three burned bodies in a downed plane near Mt. Orizaba on Friday, a day after the aircraft took off in the rain from the island's Airport in the Sky bound for John Wayne Airport.

Goldberg and Judd were tourists who had been traveling together and were staying at the Ritz-Carlton resort in Dana Point, said Orange County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Jim Amormino.

Three killed in Catalina plane crash [UPDATED]

Three people were killed after their Orange County-bound plane crashed onto a remote hilltop on Catalina Island late Thursday, officials said today.

A search helicopter located the wreckage about 10 a.m. on a hilltop area just west of Catalina’s Airport in the Sky, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Sgt. John Hudson.

A search-and-rescue team found three burned bodies in the wreckage. Although the crash victims have not been identified, they are believed to be pilot Mark Hogland and his two passengers, who took off in the small airplane Thursday but never landed, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

"There were no survivors,” Hudson said.

Plane crash victim said to be aviation website chief [UPDATED]

Coroner's officials were working this morning to confirm the identities of two men killed in a plane crash Wednesday at the Santa Monica Airport, but friends said one of the men was Paulo Emanuele, general manager of the website www.airliners.net.

The red, two-seat Marchetti SF-260 airplane that crashed on the west end of the runway is registered to Malibu-based Wingspan Inc., but Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office said officials believe neither of the men was the registered owner.

An announcement went up on the aviation-interest website about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday night, telling visitors that Emanuele's "plane took off out of Santa Monica Airport at 5:00 PM and lost power. Paulo attempted to return to the airport, but the plane crashed on the runway."

Oceanside plane crash: injuries moderate; sewage spill follows

OCEANSIDE -- A small plane crashed this morning near Oceanside Municipal Airport east of Interstate 5 in San Diego County.

The 24-year-old pilot and an 18-year-old passenger were rescued and taken to a local hospital with moderate injuries, officials said.

The plane, a Cessna 172 registered to an El Cajon flight school, clipped a power line on approach to the runway and crashed. The plane did not catch fire and there were no structures damaged nor any injuries on the ground.

But the plane struck a valve to a sewage pipe, releasing 25,000 gallons of raw sewage onto the nearby street and the plane wreckage. Crews from Oceanside Fire Department, Camp Pendleton and the county's hazardous-material squad were able to remove the sewage; 15 personnel had to be decontaminated at the site.

At midday, the wreckage remained near Foussat Road and Highway 76. The flight plan showed that the plane was destined from Gillespie Field in El Cajon to Torrance.

Officials said the plane apparently developed mechanical trouble and the pilot was attempting an emergency landing.

-- Tony Perry

Small plane crashes in Oceanside; 2 rescued

A small plane crashed this morning near Oceanside Municipal Airport, east of Interstate 5, in San Diego County.

Two people in the plane were rescued and taken to local hospitals, officials said. The plane may have clipped a power line on approach to the runway. The plane did not catch fire, and no one on the ground was injured.

At midday, the wreckage remained near Foussat Road and Highway 76.

-- Tony Perry

One killed, one injured in helicopter crash in Santa Clarita

One man was killed and another injured this morning when a helicopter installing power lines crashed near Bouquet Canyon in Santa Clarita, officials said.

The aircraft was hovering near the ground just after lift off when it crashed about 9:30 a.m., said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

As the helicopter crashed, its tail broke off and a rotor blade struck a man on the ground, Gregor said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but it’s believed the aircraft was struck by a strong gust of wind, he said.

The pilot of the aircraft had minor injuries but refused medical treatment, said Inspector Ron Haralson of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The names of both men were not immediately released, officials said.

The helicopter was operated by an employee of Swanson Aviation, a sub-contractor of Southern California Edison, said Gil Alexander, a spokesman for the power company.

It was installing power lines as part of a wind farm power plant being built in nearby Tehachapi, he said. “This is a tragedy,” Alexander said. “Our condolences go out to all those involved in the project working for us and to our entire company.”

The FAA categorized the helicopter, a Kaman K-1220, as “experimental” and listed its owner as Superior Leasing LLC in Grants Pass Oregon on its website.

Officials from Swanson Aviation could not be reached for comment.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

LA County Sheriff's deputies inspect the helicopter accident site on Bouquet Canyon Road, where a gust of wind caused the helicopter to spiral out of control killing a man on the ground. Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Navy chief pays respects to jet crash victims

The secretary of the Navy met Thursday with Dong Yun Yoon to “pay his respects and express condolences” in connection with the plane crash that killed four members of the Yoon family.

“I grieve for the loss of Mrs. Yoon, the Yoon children, Rachel and Grace, and Mrs. Kim,” said Secretary Donald C. Winter.

Marine Corps investigators are still probing the cause of Monday's F/A-18D crash, although preliminary findings are that the plane had lost power in both of its engines.

The plane destroyed the Yoon home in the University City neighborhood of San Diego.

The pilot ejected and parachuted to safety. 

-- Tony Perry

Photo: San Diego firefighters pour water on the wreckage of an F/A-18D military jet that killed four. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Marine Corps defends protocol in San Diego crash

Marine Corps officers told members of Congress today that the pilot of the F/A-18D that crashed  into a San Diego neighborhood Monday was following standard procedure in attempting an emergency landing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. They said he had no choice but to eject at 2,200 feet when his plane lost power in its second engine.

In a closed-door Washington briefing, the Marines said the plane lost power in its right engine soon after it took off from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln operating about 50 miles off the San Diego coast. The pilot was advised by the Miramar air controller to make an emergency "arrested landing" at Miramar. But when the plane was over land, the left engine also lost power.

The crash in the University City neighborhood killed four members of the same family -- including an infant and a toddler.

--Tony Perry

Read more of the story after the jump.

F/A-18 crashes into San Diego neighborhood

Photo credit: Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images

More photos

*Updated at 3:30 p.m.

Officials said two people were killed when an F/A-18 military jet about to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar slammed into a San Diego neighborhood today. The pilot was able to eject safely.

Two in the house are dead and two are missing.

Google Map of crash site

Neighbors said they heard sputtering, saw the jet wobbling, and then it crashed, creating a ball of fire. Afterward, neighbors said they saw the pilot wandering around in a daze. He had parachuted out of the jet and landed in the baseball field of nearby University City High School.

John Kreischer, 62, was returning home from taking pictures at La Jolla Cove when he spotted the plane only 300 to 500 feet in the sky.

“It was mushing through the air,” Kreischer said. “It was chugging along with what seemed like one engine. Then I heard a roar of engine and all of a sudden, woop, dead silence.

"This guy could have turned it around and put it in the ocean," he continued. "He was never going to make it to Miramar.”

“My heart goes out to the family of the victims and to the community of University City,” said Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Marine officials told The Times the pilot was part of a training squadron and that he was trying to aim the plane at a deserted canyon to avoid slamming into homes or the nearby 805 Freeway. He had taken off from the carrier Abraham Lincoln several miles off the coast.  His destination was the air station. Marine Col. Chris O’Connor pledges an in-depth investigation and to see “that the neighborhood is cleaned up as quickly as possible.”

Jason Widmer, who was working in the neighborhood, talked to the pilot after he ejected and landed.

"He was pretty shook up," Widmer said. "And pretty concerned if he had killed anyone. He had seen his bird go into a house.”

Students at University City High were eating lunch when they saw the F/A-18. "It was coming in too low,” said student Mike Scott. 

“It was like the plane hit a wall: it went straight down."

Vanessa James, a neighbor, was taking out her trash when she heard a high-pitch boom.

"I heard the boom, came out, and saw a parachute coming out over a house into a canyon,” she said. Police and fire officials said one home was destroyed and another damaged in the crash that occurred just before noon.