A 72-year-old pilot suffered minor injuries Tuesday afternoon when a single-engine Cessna crashed near South Mission Road in Fallbrook, sparking a small brush fire and shutting down traffic in both directions, authorities said.
The crash was reported just after 2 p.m. near the 2100 block of South Mission Road, south of Stagecoach Lane, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Witnesses told dispatchers the plane had been flying low, clipping trees before it went down and ignited flames visible from the roadway.
Deputies from the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation, along with the North County Fire Protection District and the California Highway Patrol, found the aircraft had traveled over an embankment into the Los Jilgueros Preserve. NCFPD PIO Capt. Choi said firefighters quickly contained a small brush fire in the median that was sparked by the crash.
The pilot managed to exit the Cessna 182-N before emergency crews arrived. Authorities said he sustained minor injuries but declined medical treatment at the scene.
Debris from the crash scattered across both northbound and southbound lanes of South Mission Road, forcing road closures between Sterling Bridge and Rocky Crest Road. CHP officers turned vehicles around at the closure points while County HAZMAT teams and firefighters worked to secure the scene and remove the wreckage. Adams Towing later transported the aircraft from the site.
At least 11 sheriff’s units and NCFPD responded immediately, and officials initially feared the aircraft had landed on the roadway. CHP was on the scene as well. By late afternoon, the scene was secured, though the road remained closed for hours as investigators continued their work.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified and will conduct the investigation into the cause of the crash. The FAA had two investigators from San Diego County on the scene. Numerous news crews also arrived to cover the crash.
Traffic was snarled for hours around town after S. Mission was closed.
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