Three die in small plane crash near Newport Beach, California

Three die in small plane crash near Newport Beach, California

2010-11-22 11:17:14 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- Three people were killed on late Sunday afternoon when their small plane crashed in southern California, authorities said.

The single-engine Beechcraft Muskateer was flying from an unknown point in Mexico to Zamperini Field in Torrance, California when it crashed in Back Bay near Newport Beach, a city in Orange County. The accident happened around 5.45 p.m. PST.

Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said three people were believed to be on board the aircraft when it went down. "The plane reportedly is upside down in the water," Gregor said.

Local authorities in Newport Beach confirmed first responders had pulled three bodies from the wreckage of the plane. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

Gregor did not know to who the plane was registered to, but said it was a U.S. registered aircraft.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the accident. "FAA and NTSB investigators are en route to the crash site now," Gregor said. "NTSB is the lead investigative agency."

It typically takes the NTSB at least several months to come up with a probable cause for accidents.

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