A single-engine plane crashed Wednesday in Kearny Mesa between Interstate 15 and Montgomery Field shortly after taking from the municipal airport, killing the pilot, authorities said.
The fixed-wing Cirrus SR22T went down about 6:30 a.m. in a dirt lot about a half-mile northwest of the airport, at 4450 Ruffin Road between Balboa Avenue and Ridgehaven Court, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Authority. The plane was headed to Yuma, Arizona.
The pilot, who was not immediately identified, was the only person on board and died at the scene, San Diego police Officer Tony Martinez said. Nobody on the ground was injured.
Online records show the plane was registered to a doctor in La Jolla.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, according to authorities. Skies were clear at the time and the sun had just risen over the horizon. Footage from several television stations showed the downed aircraft with most of its front end destroyed.
A SigAlert was issued for Ruffin Road between Balboa Avenue and Ridgehaven Court, where all lanes in both directions were closed for the crash investigation, which was being handled by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.
The deadly air accident is the second this month. A Feb. 6 crash in Santee near Gillespie Field killed 70-year-old Irvine medical school professor John Longhurt and his 71-year-old wife, Cherril.
