Overview

• The single‑engine Cessna 182, tail number N766EE, crashed while landing at Fallbrook Community Airpark shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday.
• Investigators said preliminary evidence points to engine issues, and the FAA and NTSB are continuing the inquiry.
• The 72-year-old pilot was the only person aboard, sustained minor injuries, and declined hospital transport.
• The plane clipped trees, came to rest upside down near South Mission Road in the Los Jilgueros Preserve, and sparked a 10‑by‑10‑foot vegetation fire that crews quickly extinguished.
• Debris on both directions of South Mission Road prompted closures between Mission Oaks Road and South Stagecoach Lane as firefighters, hazmat teams, and CHP secured and cleared the scene.