A single-engine plane that took off from Van Nuys Airport crashed Wednesday near Santa Maria Airport in Santa Barbara County, killing the pilot, according to authorities and broadcast reports.
The Cirrus SR20 crashed on the grounds of a school near the Santa Maria Airport around 10:45 a.m. and caught fire, Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
“We believe the pilot was the only person on board,” Gregor said. “The plane had departed from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles (County) and was headed to Santa Maria.”
The plane crashed at Ralph Dunlap Elementary School in the community of Orcutt, and the pilot died at the scene, according to CBS2, citing the Santa Maria Fire Department. Information on the pilot’s identity was not immediately available.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what caused the crash.