Jan. 29 (UPI) -- One person was killed and another was injured when a small plane crashed in California on Tuesday.
Police confirmed the male pilot of the plane died in the crash and emergency crews worked to rescue the male passenger from the wreckage off an Oceanside-area highway.
The survivor said the plane had crashed about five hours before he was rescued, leaving him and the pilot stranded until a driver spotted the wreckage off Route 76 at about 7:15 a.m.
The passenger was airlifted to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for treatment after sustaining broken bones and cuts to his face, Oceanside police spokesperson Tom Bussey told NBC Los Angeles.
Officials said the wreckage was secured at the top of the ridge where the plane crashed, as they worked to remove it.
"It is pretty steep," said Bussey. "We've got eastbound SR-76 closed for some time until they figure out how to get the plane off this hill."
All lanes of SR-76 were reopened by 1 p.m.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot and the surviving passenger were the only to people on the plane and an investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were also sent to the scene of the crash.
