Man killed when small plane crashes in San Bernardino Mountains

Authorities are investigating a plane crash that occurred in the San Bernardino Mountains on Saturday night, officials said.

The twin-engine Gulfstream Turbo Commander crashed about 8:15 p.m. in the mountains north of Palm Avenue, according to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

A man was found dead at the scene, the Sheriff's Department said. The department is waiting to release his identity until it notifies his family.

Witnesses in the northern part of San Bernardino reported hearing a plane sputter Saturday night, followed by loud crash and a red flash, authorities said.

The remote area is difficult to access by foot or vehicle, and search efforts were initially hampered by rain and wind that lashed the area Saturday night, officials said.

By Sunday morning, authorities had located a debris field north of Devil’s Canyon, and members of the Sheriff's Department's Aviation Unit were on the scene along with search and rescue crews, said Gloria Huerta, a Sheriff’s Department spokesperson. Rescue workers were hoisted down a mountain and attempted to hike to the debris field, she said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .