2 dead in Southern California small plane crash

SYLMAR, Calif. – A small plane crashed near a Southern California landfill in overcast, rainy weather on Friday, killing two people on board, authorities said.

The wreckage of the single-engine Mooney M20 was found at around 5:30 p.m. on a hill near the Sunshine Canyon Landfill northwest of Los Angeles, authorities said.

The victims’ identities weren’t immediately released.

The plane had taken off from Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend, Oregon. Shortly before 2 p.m., it vanished from the radar while heading to Van Nuys Airport, said Ian Gregor with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Reports of a possible plane crash came in about an hour later. Los Angeles County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies went to the reported scene near the Newhall Pass, a mountain freeway corridor northwest of Los Angeles.

However, poor visibility and muddy, rugged terrain hampered the search.

“Our deputies had to hike in and it took a little while to find the wreckage,” sheriff’s Lt. Ethan Marquez told KCBS-TV.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash, including whether it may have been weather-related.