Pilot Who Died in Crash Identified as Santa Ana Man

A pilot whose small plane crashed in South Lake Tahoe over the weekend was identified Tuesday as Donald Brannon of Santa Ana, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department said.

Brannon’s four-seat Piper Cherokee crashed Sunday in a mountainous area near the El Dorado-Alpine County line, Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Stroot said.

The plane crashed shortly after taking off from South Lake Tahoe Airport about 3:50 p.m., officials said.

Investigators on Tuesday were checking to determine whether Brannon had originally flown out of John Wayne Airport, said Fred O’Donnell, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Stroot said the plane was registered in Nevada.

Immediately after the crash, sheriff’s deputies searched the area with helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft, snowmobiles and cross-country skiers.

Search efforts were hampered by deep, loose snow, darkness and cold, Stroot said.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter spotted the wreckage about 8 a.m. Monday, and a ski team reached the wreckage 20 minutes later. The team found Brannon’s body in the plane.

Brannon was identified Tuesday through fingerprints, Stroot said.