Mooney M20E Went Down In The Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve

A man and a woman were fatally injured Wednesday when the Mooney M20E they were aboard impacted terrain in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve in southern California.

The airplane and its occupants were the subject of an intensive search after the plane was reported overdue at its destination in San Diego. The flight had originated in Palm Springs, CA.

Television station KTVN reports that radar contact with the airplane was lost about 1815 PDT Wednesday. The last known location of the aircraft was over the wilderness preserve northeast of Julian, CA.

An intensive search was launched that continued into the early morning hours Thursday. The wreckage was eventually located about 0100 PDT in the wilderness area. The airplane had impacted a steep hillside, according to local authorities. The San Diego County Sheriff's SAR team led the search, assisted by the CAP and several other organizations.

The search was reportedly hampered by bad weather, including high winds, rain, sleet and fog in the area. Search crews eventually used a signal from the pilot's cell phone to triangulate and locate the wreckage.

The names of those fatally injured have not been released by the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

(Mooney M20E pictured in file photo. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/openspace/Volcan_Mountain_Wilderness.html, www.ntsb.gov