FALLBROOK — Engine trouble was to blame for a northern San Diego-area crash that left the pilot of a light airplane with minor injuries this week, authorities reported today.
The single-engine Cessna 182N went down into an open area just east of Fallbrook Airpark shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday as the 72-year-old man behind the controls was trying to land at the airstrip off South Mission Road, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft crashed into an embankment and came to rest in Los Jilgueros Nature Preserve, sparking a small vegetation blaze that firefighters quickly extinguished.
The pilot was able to exit the badly damaged aircraft before the arrival of emergency personnel. He had suffered superficial injuries but declined medical treatment, according to sheriff’s officials.
Preliminary evidence indicated that “engine issues” caused the crash, the FAA reported.
