Pilot, 30, Killed in Desert Air Crash
- Share via
INDIO, Calif. — A single-engine plane crashed in the desert outside of Indio on Monday, killing the pilot.
Pilot James Wesley Hanbury, 30, of Banning was involved in cargo-dropping experiments for the military, when the crash occurred north of Bermuda Dunes, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
Investigators said the Cessna 150 lost altitude when a parachute carrying one of the cargo packages got tangled in the tail of the aircraft. Hanbury tried to parachute out of the plane as it dropped to an altitude of 400 feet, but the chute apparently failed to open.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
