Fallbrook

Plane Passenger Killed in Crash at Fallbrook Flower Field ID'd

NBC Universal, Inc.

The Medical Examiner's Office has identified the passenger killed in a crash at a flower field in Fallbrook over the weekend.

The plane crash-landed at around 1:40 p.m. in a flowerbed of Altman Plants on 2575 Olive Hill Rd., less than one mile from the nearby air strip, according to the North County Fire Protection District. Howard Rose, 77 of Chino, was killed in the crash, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.

Rose was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

Herbert Hill told NBC 7 he was behind the controls. He said he didn't break any bones but needed a few days in the hospital to recover.

Plenty of folks in the area come to Fallbrook Airpark to watch the pilots make their landing. On Saturday, some folks were watching as the plane crashed. Several bystanders rushed to the scene to help get those inside out of the plane, first responders told NBC 7.

The plane is a T-28B type owned by Mach One Air Charters and departed from Chino, California, according to Flight Aware. It is a fixed-wing, single-engine, military-style plane from 1953, now used by a private citizen.

It is not yet clear what caused the plane to crash, but some pilots have hinted at possible engine failure.

The Federal Aviation Administration arrived on the scene shortly after the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board was scheduled to arrive Sunday morning to do a deeper investigation into what happened.

No injuries, damaged structures or fires were reported at the scene of the crash.

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