The pilot of an experimental plane was killed when it crashed just after takeoff Saturday at Hemet-Ryan Airport in Riverside County.
The twin-engine AirCam crashed on the runway Saturday morning, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor, and the pilot was the only person believed to have been onboard.
Witnesses said the plane climbed about 30 to 40 feet into the air before coming down after what appeared to be some kind of mechanical failure. Photos showed the red plane upside-down on the runway.
The pilot, who was not identified, was freed from the wreckage and taken to Hemet Valley Hospital, where he died, the Hemet Fire Department said.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, Gregor said.
