Two people were killed after a small plane crashed near a Southern California landfill on Friday, authorities said.
The plane was reported to be a single-engine Mooney M20 and was found near the Sunshine Canyon Landfill, northwest of Los Angeles around 5:30 p.m.
A Federal Aviation Administration official said the aircraft vanished from the radar shortly before 2 p.m. while heading to Van Nuys Airport.
Los Angeles County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies responded to the possible plane crash after reports came in about an hour after the plane’s disappearance.
The county rescue team went to the reported scene near the Newhall Pass, a mountain freeway corridor northwest of Los Angeles but poor visibility and muddy, rugged terrain hampered the search.
“Our deputies had to hike in and it took a little while to find the wreckage,” Sheriff’s Lt. Ethan Marquez told KCAL9.
Federal officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
Authorities said rainy weather may have been a factor, but at this time it is not confirmed if the crash was weather-related.
The plane had taken off from Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend, Oregon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
