One killed in San Diego County-area helicopter crash

A helicopter crashed in the far southeastern reaches of San Diego County today, killing the pilot, authorities reported.   

The Eurocopter AS350 went down for unknown reasons about 10:15 a.m. off the 1800 block of Round Potrero Road, north of state Route 94 and roughly two miles south of Barrett Lake, according to Cal Fire and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The victim died at the scene of the crash, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with the state agency. The victim, whose identity was not immediately available, was the sole occupant of the single-engine light utility helicopter at the time of the crash, the FAA reported.

The ownership of the aircraft was not immediately clear, Cornette said. The U.S. Border Patrol, which was taking the investigative lead in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for information.