FAA Identifies Pilot Killed In Monday Crash As Investigation Begins

A pilot killed in a plane crash near Moreno Valley was identified today as a 65-year-old Riverside man.

Christopher Julius Petrikas died Monday morning when his twin-engine Aero Commander went down in the Lake Perris State Recreation Area.

Petrikas departed Palm Springs International Airport solo around 9:30 a.m. en route to Chino Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

He was apparently communicating with air traffic controllers at March Air Reserve Base, but abruptly dropped off their radar around 10:05 a.m.

Concerned family members contacted authorities when Petrikas failed to arrive in Chino.

The aviator’s mobile phone remained active hours after the crash, and emergency officials “pinged” it to get a fix on his location, which turned out to be a hillside off of Via Del Lago.

A park ranger searching a section of the campground inaccessible to vehicles discovered the wreckage of the blue-and-white plane just after 3 p.m.

Petrikas was evidently killed on impact. County fire crews had to hike to the location to recover his remains.

At the time of the crash, the Riverside area was under overcast skies and scattered rain. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said National Transportation Safety Board investigators were examining the crash site today and would be trying to determine whether the weather contributed to the accident.