A small Cessna plane crashed in La Jolla Wednesday night, killing the pilot, officials said.
The wreckage of the plane was found shortly after 2 a.m. in a brushy area off Caminito Claro near Gilman Drive, said San Diego police Officer David O’Brien.
Residents called 911 around 9:35 p.m. reporting that they heard or saw a distressed plane and that it had crashed.
“We got reports that the plane was low, circling the area” and reports that “the plane had gone down,” O’Brien said.
Officers searched the area, but it took hours to locate the wreckage in the dark. O’Brien said the aircraft missed a condo complex and hit a hillside.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration registry, the plane’s registered owner lives in Carlsbad.
The pilot was the only person on board and died before he could be taken to a hospital. His name was not released, pending notification of family.
No other information was immediately available.