FALLBROOK, CA – A 72-year-old man sustained minor injuries after a Cessna 182-N crashed Tuesday afternoon on South Mission Road in Fallbrook.
The aircraft was flying at low altitude when it struck several trees and came down inside the Los Jilgueros Nature Preserve, sparking a small brush fire that was quickly contained by the North County Fire Protection District.
Despite the impact, the pilot managed to exit the plane on his own before emergency crews arrived. He only suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment at the scene, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The Fallbrook plane crash scattered debris across the roadway, forcing authorities to shut down a section of South Mission Road for several hours, which led to traffic delays in the area.
HAZMAT crews and firefighters secured the site and removed the aircraft. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
