Plane crash in California hillside, pilot found dead

BEVERLY CREST, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Emergency crews located the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into a steep hillside Saturday night in the Beverly Crest area of Los Angeles, according to CBS News Los Angeles. The pilot was the only person onboard and was found dead at the scene.

Search efforts began shortly after 8:00pm Saturday when air controllers lost contact with the plane. Search efforts were hampered by thick ground fog and rugged terrain, but crews from multiple agencies including the U.S. Air Force were able to narrow down the search by homing in on the plane's emergency beacon plus assistance from the pilot's cellular phone company, according to the station.

After several hours of searching, the single-engine aircraft was finally located on the mountainside near a home and water tower which were not damaged by the crash. Crews are currently searching to make sure there are no other victims.

The FAA provided the following statement to CBS News Los Angeles:

"A single-engine Cessna C172 crashed southeast of Van Nuys Airport in California around 8:45pm local time Saturday, April 29. The wreckage was located around 1:15am local time Sunday, April 30. Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates."

Officials have not revealed the pilot's identity.