Plane Stuck in Tree Overnight
Two men aboard a small plane told air traffic controllers Wednesday night their aircraft was stuck in a tree in the Cleveland National Forest, officials said.
The unidentified pilot called air traffic controllers in San Diego about 9:05 p.m. to ask for help in getting out of the tree, said Larri Dillard, a Federal Aviation Administration operations officer in Los Angeles.
The pilot of the single-engine Cessna 152 and a passenger were stuck in a tree near Santiago Peak at about the 3,000-foot level, said Capt. Ron Faulkner of the Riverside County Fire Department.
Authorities told the men that darkness and incoming fog would delay a rescue attempt until this morning. The men said they were not injured and could wait until then, Faulkner said.
“They are very fortunate they are still alive,” Faulkner said
Deputies on the ground and aboard a helicopter searched late Wednesday night for the plane, said Sgt. Shelley Kennedy-Smith of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
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