FALLBROOK, Calif. - A light plane crashed off the end of a runway and flipped over after landing at Fallbrook Community Airpark Wednesday, but the 79-year-old pilot and his passenger emerged unscathed, authorities reported.
The aviation accident at the airport on South Mission Road occurred shortly after 2 p.m., said Capt. Rich Berry of the North County Fire Protection District.
The pilot and his 77-year-old companion were able to get out of the upside-down Cessna on their own after it came to rest and the end of the runway, Berry said.
The occupants were not injured.
Col. Jon Stokes confirmed that the plane, part of the Civil Air Patrol assigned to the California Wing, was on an "authorized proficiency flight" when it crashed. Both occupants are Civil Air Patrol pilots, Stokes said.
The cause of the crash will be investigated by the FAA and NTSB.
Civil Air Patrol aircraft are supplied by the U.S. government and used for search-and-rescue missions and disaster relief.
The California Wing has 30 aircraft assigned throughout the state.
