Full Notification

At approximately 10:00 p.m. on August 6, 2015, the Emergency Communications Center received a report of a “Mayday” that a small aircraft was experiencing engine trouble.  The U.S. Coast Guard, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team and Civil Air Patrol were alerted.  Due to the fact the plane could have landed in the ocean or on land in either Santa Barbara County or Ventura County, personnel from both counties and the U.S. Coast Guard responded. Upon further investigation it was determined that the plane went down somewhere just north of Jameson Lake about 30 to 40 miles north of Ojai. 

Following the emergency locater transmissions, the participating agencies were able to locate the plane on land in a remote area near Don Victor Trail. The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team and a Ventura County Air Unit responded to the vicinity. At approximately 4:30 a.m. this morning, August 7, the Ventura County Air Unit spotted the wreckage of a small plane.

Due to the remote area and rugged terrain, responders were not able to gain access to the plane crash site until approximately 7 a.m.  When they did arrive at the site, personnel from the Ventura County Air Unit discovered the body of the pilot in the aircraft and no survivors.  Due to the precarious position of the aircraft, responders are currently assessing the scene in order to determine how to safely extricate the victim.

The identity of the decedent is unknown at this time and once confirmed will not be released until next of kin is notified.  The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash including where the aircraft was coming from, where it was headed and what led to the accident.