A pilot died when a plane that had taken off from San Jose crashed in Merced County on Tuesday evening. Deputies arrived at the crash site near Interstate 5 between Santa Nella and Los Banos shortly after 7:40 p.m. Sheriff Vern Warnke said the pilot encountered difficulty after takeoff and the aircraft circled the area for about an hour before nose-diving into the ground. Initial hopes for a rescue operation ended when the scene proved fatal. Investigators confirmed the pilot was the sole occupant and that another pilot had been following the aircraft. The NTSB and FAA are investigating.
A pilot has died after a plane that took off from San Jose crashed in Merced County Tuesday evening, sheriff's officials said.
"We initially started this in hopes it would be a rescue operation, but, unfortunately, it's not that way," Sheriff Warnke said.
Investigators say the pilot was the only person on board. They confirmed that another pilot was following the downed plane, but do not know the reason why.
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