LAKE ELSINORE--Investigators say the crash of a small plane on Estelle Mountain was not survivable.

Pilot Stephen Witson, 70, of Lake Mathews and Debra Cunningham, 56, of Riverside perished when the single-engine Citabria went down at the 1650 foot level, according to the FAA’s Ian Gregor.

“It hit the ground very hard at a sharp angle and was very badly damaged.”

The pilot was returning to Corona after a stop at the French Valley Airport near Murrieta. His wife reported him missing to a friend who spotted the wreckage late Wednesday.

The pilot was not in radio contact in the moments before the crash.

Story Date: June 23, 2009