Pilot killed in small plane crash in Riverside neighborhood

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (FOX 11) - One person was killed in a small plane crash Saturday in a residential area of Riverside, authorities said.

The crash was reported around 11:50 a.m. in the 10500 block of Robinson Avenue in the La Sierra neighborhood, Riverside police said.

The twin-engine Beechcraft BE50 was flying from Chino to Apple Valley when it crashed in a residential backyard after the pilot reported engine issues, according to a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The pilot was the only person on board, the FAA said.

No other injuries were reported.

"My son started yelling for me. He heard a plane go down, and when I came outside, I saw it go down and just heard a loud boom," witness Elizabeth Short said.

"He was going lower and lower and he just nosedived straight down," another witness, Amber Short, said at the scene. "We were freaking out."

The area of the crash is located about 3 miles west of the Riverside Municipal Airport.

Robinson Avenue was expected to be closed between Norwood Avenue and Chadbourne Avenue for several hours.

Officials with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating the crash.