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Riverside area man dies after crashing small plane near Perris

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The pilot of a twin-engine plane died yesterday after his plane crashed near Moreno Valley. Investigators don’t yet know what brought down the plane.

The pilot flew solo out of Palm Springs early Monday, possibly en route to Riverside Municipal Airport. The 10-seat Aero Commander went down in the Lake Perris State Recreation Area.

Air traffic controllers say they lost track of the aircraft about 30 minutes after it left Palm Springs. Emergency responders pinpointed the crash location through “pings” from the pilot’s mobile phone.

The plane is registered to veteran Inland Empire pilot Christopher Petrikas. Relatives called the Riverside County sheriff's department when he didn’t arrive at his destination. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

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