3 killed in Big Bear plane crash
A plane crash at Big Bear Airport left three people dead Monday.
Firefighters said it was reported around 2:01 p.m. that a single-engine plane was down at the airport. All three people on board the aircraft died at the scene.
"It didn't sound right," said witness Daniel Villareal. "You could hear it and then it went silent and then you heard a crash."
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and are on the way to the scene.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The FAA said the plane is a single-engine Beechcraft A36.
The FAA said it will have a preliminary report out within a day of the crash.
Multiple sources told KCAL News that the pilot was flying another person, possibly a friend, to purchase a plane in Big Bear.
The Beechcraft is registered to a man who lives in Riverside County. The flight started in French Valley and made a stop in Corona about an hour before crashing in Big Bear. At this point it is unclear if the pilot sent a distress signal.
On Tuesday, the San Bernardino County Coroner's office identified the three victims of the crash as 60-year-old Temecula resident Stormie Seibold, 62-year-old Perris resident Jimmy Fitzpatrick and 79-year-old Robert Carty, of Lake Havasu.
This is the second crash in three days. On Saturday, a plane crash in Beverly Crest killed one pilot.
(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)
