Emergency Landing Near Banning Airport

Cal Fire says a small plane had to make an emergency landing Sunday afternoon, while on it’s way to the Banning Airport.

Per the Incident Commander, the left engine failed, forcing the plane to make a hard landing near Bonita Avenue and Apache Trail in Cabazon, a little more than a mile away from the airport’s runway.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies found the aircraft down in an open field approximately one and a half miles west of the Apache Trail off-ramp, south of Interstate 10, according to Sergeant Wilson Padilla.

The landing caused some damage to the plane, but only one of the three people onboard at the time was hurt, with very minor injuries.

None of the three people aboard were hospitalized, said Melody Hendrickson of the Riverside County Fire Department said.

Six engines and 24 firefighters responded.

No word on what caused the plane’s engine to malfunction.

The FAA and NTSB were notified of the crash and assumed control of the investigation, said Sergeant Padilla.