The 83-year-old pilot of a small plane that crashed in the unincorporated community of Bermuda Dunes died after being taken to a hospital with serious injuries, coroner’s officials said Sunday.
The crash was reported just after 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the 78000 block of Discovery Bay east of Palm Desert, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The pilot was initially trapped inside the wreckage, according to fire officials, and was hospitalized after being freed by first responders.
James Wallace of Palm Desert was pronounced dead at 9:34 p.m. Saturday at Desert Regional Medical Center, according to the Riverside County coroner’s office.
There were no reports of anyone on the ground being injured.
Preliminary reports indicate that the plane was a single-engine Moul Willis RV-3 and that the pilot was the only occupant, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Neighbors told KESQ that the plane crash landed shortly after taking off from Bermuda Airport.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the crash.