Federal investigators are trying to determine what caused an experimental plane to crash into a rocky mountain slope near Jamul Tuesday afternoon, killing the pilot.
An investigator with the National Traffic Safety Board was in San Diego County but had not yet seen the remote crash site in person as of midday Wednesday because the steep terrain was so difficult to reach.
"It is a really challenging accident site in this steep mountainous terrain," NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson said. "They haven't been able to get to the aircraft at this point."
A resident called 911 to report seeing the plane go down near Lyons Peak around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday. Sheriff's deputies and Cal Fire firefighters looked for the aircraft for awhile before a "debris field" was spotted northeast of the peak by a sheriff's helicopter crew, officials said.
Cal Fire personnel cleared a trail through vegetation to get near the crash site and reported the plane had apparently broken into many small pieces. They also saw human remains.
The pilot was flying a Mustang II experimental aircraft that took off from Gillespie Field in El Cajon, Knudson said.
Investigators don't know where the pilot was headed, the purpose of the flight or if the pilot had any conversations with air traffic controllers, Knudson said.
The NTSB investigator will make sure pieces of the plane are recovered and moved to a secure location where they can be examined and documented. The investigator also will talk to witnesses, get ahold of any surveillance video that can be found and secure other evidence. A preliminary report likely will be completed in the next two to three weeks. A final report on the general aviation crash could be completed in 12 to 24 months.
The Mustang II is a two-seat aerobatic plane with a bubble canopy that is built from a kit. The planes are considered experimental amateur-built aircraft, Knudson said.
Information about the pilot killed in the crash will come from county Medical Examiner's Office, Knudson said.
This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.
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