Placer County Sheriff’s officials are in the process of identifying two people who were found inside a crashed airplane near Emigrant Gap this afternoon. The plane was discovered by a hiker.
The crash occurred in a rugged, mountainous area near Emigrant Gap, off of U.S. Forest Service Road 19. The plane is one-half mile north of the east fork of the American River.
The Sheriff’s Department received the hiker’s information at 1:43 p.m. today. A California Highway Patrol airplane was able to confirm that the aircraft was down, with two fatalities. Deputies arrived at the crash scene shortly after.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will investigate the crash. The Sheriff’s Office will transport the deceased to the Placer County morgue where autopsies will be performed. Identification will not be released until identity is verified and next of kin are notified.