The victims are in their 50s to 60s, said Kelly Hoover, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
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The pilot and passenger of a plane that crashed Thursday in Santa Barbara have been identified as San Diego residents, according to a release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Around 10 p.m. Thursday, the Emergency Communications Center received a “Mayday” report, stating a small aircraft was experiencing engine trouble.
Authorities found the body of the pilot inside the plane Friday morning.
Authorities have identified the two plane occupants who were killed in a crash in Santa Barbara County last week.
The identity of the decedent is unknown at this time and once confirmed will not be released until next of kin are notified. Both Ventura and S.B. County personnel responded to the crash, which was estimated to be 30-40 miles north of Ojai just north of Jameson Lake.
At approximately 4:30 a.m. Friday, the Ventura County Air Unit spotted the wreckage of the plane. Because of the rugged terrain, search and rescue crews could not reach the plane until about 7 a.m., she said.
Search and rescue workers had to extricate the pilot from the plane. The second victim was located in the wreckage later Friday, she said.
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash including where the aircraft was coming from, where it was headed and what led to the accident.
