1 Dead In 2 Aircraft Mishaps Reported In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Two separate mishaps Sunday in the sky above Riverside County left one dead, and both incidents remain under investigation.

The first was reported at 10:51 a.m. in the 36600 block of Judy Lane in unincorporated Hemet area. Several callers told authorities that an aircraft had crashed, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

When fire crews arrived on scene, the lone occupant of a small ultralight vehicle was found dead in the wreckage, the agency reported.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau, the pilot was identified as 44-year-old Andrew Houser of San Jacinto.

"The incident appears to be an accident as there were no signs of foul play," Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez told City News Service.

No further information about the crash was immediately available.

The Federal Aviation Administration does not require ultralights to have proof of airworthiness, nor is a pilot certificate (license) required to fly the vehicles, according to the agency.

Ultralights can range from hang gliders, unpowered gliders, rotorcraft and other vehicles.

According to FAA spokesperson Steven W. Kulm, local authorities are in charge of the investigation into the fatal crash.

An unrelated aircraft mishap was reported Sunday night in Perris, but no injuries occurred.

Just before 8:30 p.m., the pilot of a Sonex small plane was forced to make a hard landing in a dirt field due to a power failure. The aircraft sustained minor damage, according to a preliminary FAA report.

Only the pilot was onboard, the report shows.