Oceanside CA— At 7:26 this morning, Tuesday, January 29, 2019, Oceanside Police and Fire Department personnel responded to reports of a plane down on the hillside above SR-76 between Benet Rd and Canyon Rd. The single engine aircraft struck near the top of the hillside, just west and south of the Oceanside Airport.

When police and fire department personnel arrived in the area, they located the crash site finding two male occupants in the aircraft. The pilot was deceased and the passenger sustained major injuries and was airlifted to Scripps La Jolla. The passenger indicated the crash occurred approximately 5 hours earlier. The exact cause of the crash is unknown.
 

The condition of the survivor is unknown at this time. A Sig-Alert has been issued for eastbound SR-76 due to the danger of the plane sliding down the hillside onto the road below. Highway 76 eastbound from Canyon Drive to Benet Road will remain closed until the aircraft is removed.

A number of agencies responded to this incident including Oceanside Fire Department, Vista Fire Department, Camp Pendleton Fire/Rescue, FAA and NTSB.
We will update this when more information becomes available