A late California pilot warned Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operators the small plane he was operating was low on fuel before he crashed in a residential San Diego neighborhood Wednesday night, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said the unnamed pilot issued the low fuel warning to FAA officials at around 9:30 p.m. while flying in rainy weather conditions. He was found dead along the wreckage in the La Jolla Heights area the next morning, SDPD said, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
Pilot killed in small plane crash in La Jolla https://t.co/vMXE6Of5OX
— FOX 5 San Diego (@fox5sandiego) November 16, 2023
After communicating with FAA officials, the flight diverted toward Montgomery Field, Fox 5 reported. (RELATED: 3 People Dead Within 2 Days After Being Struck By San Diego County Commuter Rail)
SDPD said the pilot went off radar and lost track of his location, per Fox 5. Officials then reportedly searched the general vicinity of Torrey Pines Gliderport for a downed aircraft.
By Thursday morning, police confirmed drone assets discovered the wreckage of the plane in La Jolla, according to Fox 5. Prior to the drone discovery, a resident in the area reported seeing the lights coming from the downed plane to police. (RELATED: Israeli Pilot Killed In New Jersey Helicopter Crash)
The plane, a Cessna P210, was a single engine aircraft that took off from Murrieta, California, Fox 5 reported.
UPDATE: San Diego police confirmed the pilot of a small plane that crashed Wednesday night in a La Jolla neighborhood is dead after an hours-long search for the wreckage. https://t.co/pbcUCCpmMQ
— NBC 7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) November 16, 2023
Both the FAA as well as the National Transportation Safety Board will open investigations into the fatal plane collision, according to Fox 5.