SAN BERNARDINO, CA — A Riverside County man was identified as the victim of a small plane crash on Saturday evening, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced.
Blake E. Broadbent, 35, of Riverside, died as a result of the incident. His body was recovered from the debris field Sunday, and his name was released Monday after notification of next of kin.
Shortly after 8:15 p.m. Saturday, witnesses in the north end of San Bernardino reported hearing “a plane sputter and then a loud crash, followed by a red flash,” according to the sheriff’s department.
FAA spokesperson Chris Mullooly told Patch that Broadbent was the lone occupant of the twin turbo-prop-engine Gulfstream 695A. The flight plan shows that the Gulf took off from Stockton Airport and was heading to Chino Airport when it instead crashed into the canyon.
According to authorities, the area was not accessible via vehicle or on foot, and the sheriff’s aviation division was restricted due to weather on Saturdays, which were listed as clouds, fog, and rain by the National Weather Service.
According to authorities, the area was not accessible via vehicle or on foot, and the sheriff’s aviation division was restricted due to weather on Saturdays, which were listed as clouds, fog, and rain by the National Weather Service.
FAA records show that the plane was manufactured in 1984 and was in the process of new registration to a Santa Monica private address. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash.
