Riverside County Plane Crash Kills Man and Woman

June 18, 2009

Riverside County – A single plane crash near Lake Elsinore killed two people, according to aviation authorities

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane “Champion Citabria” took off around 11 a.m., Wednesday, from Corona Municipal Airport. Officials do not know the time of the crash at the moment.

The wreckage was found in a hilly area about two miles east of Interstate 15 at about 6:40 p.m.

The Associated Press reported that Riverside County firefighters arrived shortly after 7 p.m. and found two bodies, a man and a woman, from the wreckage.

The plane tail number N8339V is registered to Stephen H. Whitson of Perris.

As of the moment, the identities of the two victims are not yet released by authorities.

The Federal Aviation Administration and The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation of the crash.