Pilot dies in Temecula plane crash

The pilot of a small plane died after crashing into an open field Tuesday in Temecula, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

The crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. near the 32100 block of Everview Terrace, southeast of French Valley Airport, officials said.

A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a single-engine Zodiac 601XL and only the pilot was on board. Officials could not immediately confirm the pilot’s name, age or point of origin.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, officials said.

No streets were closed in connection with the crash, the Sheriff’s Department said, but the public was asked to avoid the area.