Two Santa Barbara-area residents are believed to have been killed over the weekend in a plane crash near Palm Springs.
A single-engine Piper PA28 went down at about 3:50 p.m. Saturday in Morongo Canyon, some 23 miles northwest of Palm Springs, according to Ian Gregor, public affairs manager for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft was headed to Santa Barbara at the time it crashed, Gregor said.
The names of those on board were not released, but the Facebook page for Bob Trimble, general manager of Accurate Aviation in Santa Barbara, references the crash, and includes numerous condolences for his passing.
Friends were also mourning Terri Day, the second person believed to be on board, who also apparently worked at Accurate Aviation.
Trimble also worked as a counselor for the Santa Barbara City College Department of Alcohol and Drug Counseling.
Terry Williams, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said an investigator arrived on scene Sunday, and had made a preliminary examination of the aircraft wreckage and the crash site.
Investigators also will look into the pilot’s records, training and license, as well as the maintenance records for the aircraft, Williams said.
Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
