The pilot who died in the crash of a single-engine plane in a remote area near Desert Center was identified Wednesday as a 67-year-old Canyon Lake resident.
John Brent Stackhouse was killed in the crash that occurred just before 6 p.m. Monday in a remote desert area near Corn Springs Road, a half-mile south of Interstate 10, Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Anthony Townsend said.
Authorities were initially unable locate the crash site “due to the darkness, terrain and remote area,” but it the downed plane was eventually spotted with the help of a sheriff’s helicopter crew, sheriff’s Deputy Robyn Flores said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said Stackhouse was the only person believed to be aboard the Beechcraft Bonanza. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
The investigation into the crash will be led by the National Transportation Safety Board. It could take a year or more to determine the probable cause of the accident, Gregor said.