The pilot of a small, twin-engine plane that crashed into the backyard of a home in Riverside has yet to be publicly identified, as authorities continued to investigate the crash Sunday.
The plane went down around 11:50 a.m. Saturday in the 10500 block of Robinson Avenue near Norwood Avenue in the La Sierra Acres neighborhood, the Riverside City Fire Department said.
The pilot, who was the aircraft’s sole occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene and was described as an “older individual” by RCFD Capt. Brian Guzzetta.
None of the four people inside the home on the property where the plane crashed were injured.
The Beechcraft BE50 was flying from Chino to Apple Valley when the pilot reported engine issues to the Riverside Municipal Airport tower, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
It was not clear if the pilot was attempting to land at the airport, which is about two and a half miles away from where the plane ended up.
Only a short amount of time passed between the distress call and the crash, Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback said.
The pilot reported “some sort of engine problem on the aircraft,” according to Guzzetta.
The plane caused some minor damage to the home near the crash site, but officials said it could have been much worse considering how densely populated the neighborhood is.
“We were surprised and grateful that it wasn’t a larger incident than it was,” said Guzzetta.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the crash.