Plane goes down in Cleveland National Forest, pilot OK

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KESQ) - A single-engine airplane went down today in the Cleveland National Forest west of Lake Elsinore, but the pilot walked away unscathed after apparently deploying a parachute attached to the aircraft.   

The ``aircraft emergency'' was reported at 3:05 p.m. Tuesday in a canyon adjacent to the Ortega Oaks Campground, along the eastbound side of the highway, roughly three miles west of Lake Elsinore, according to public safety agencies.

Personnel from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Fire Department and California Highway Patrol all responded to the location after receiving multiple 911 calls.

Patrol deputies were first to reach the downed plane, encountering the pilot -- and sole occupant -- standing nearby uninjured, according to reports from the scene.

First responders indicated that the aircraft might have been equipped with an ``airframe parachute system,'' which come custom-fitted to several fixed-wing models, enabling aviators to deploy them during engine-out or similar emergencies for safe landings in almost any type of terrain.

The specific circumstances of the emergency were unknown Tuesday afternoon.   

The Federal Aviation Administration was informed about the incident, but no further details were immediately available.