LAKE ELSINORE >> Three people aboard a small plane were killed Sunday when a wing clipped a tree and crashed in the Santa Ana Mountains, off the Ortega Highway near Lake Elsinore, authorities said.
Firefighters were dispatched at 9:22 a.m. to an area near the Lookout Roadhouse restaurant in the 32100 block of Ortega Highway in response to a small fire.
The Riverside County Fire Department confirmed the fatalities. Cal Fire reported that one of the plane’s wings had clipped a tree, causing the single-engine aircraft to crash.
The fire was sparked by a Piper PA28 Cherokee airplane, which crashed into a cliff. Its tail number would not be released until relatives of the three people were notified, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
Witness Alan Scott told KABC-TV (Channel 7) the plane appeared to lose power when it barely cleared power lines and tried to “climb” upwards.
It’s not certain if wind played a role in the crash, according to KABC.
There were no other reports of injuries or fatalities. The fire was contained to less than an acre, authorities said.
