Pilot dies in crash of small plane in Southern California

TEMECULA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot died in the crash of a small plane on a hillside in Southern California. The Federal Aviation Administration says the single-engine Zodiac 601XL crashed just southeast of French Valley Airport in Temecula around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Riverside County Sheriff’s Sergeant Brandi Swan tells the Press-Enterprise that when deputies arrived on scene, they found the man dead inside the aircraft. He was the plane’s sole occupant. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.