Two People Confirmed Dead In Fiery Plane Crash

The Riverside County Coroner’s Office has confirmed two people died in yesterday’s fiery plane crash near Lake Elsinore.

The crash victims were both male, but their identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. No additional information was available about the victims at press time.

The downed aircraft was a fixed-wing, single-engine Taylorcraft, BC-12D.

The crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Joseph Canyon, Corona, just outside the Cleveland National Forest near Lake Elsinore.

The small craft disintegrated upon impact and sparked a fire that scorched an acre of the hillside.

The plane was destroyed and the tail number of the plane was unreadable, FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said.

“There were only pieces left," said Thomas Rosales, whose Corona home looks out over the crash site.

Firefighters quickly put out a one-acre blaze, Corona fire Deputy Chief John Medina said.

The cause of the crash is being investigated.

For an earlier story on the incident,