Rhea Mahbubani

Small Plane Crashes Near Bolinas, Killing Pilot

A small plane crashed at the southern end of Point Reyes National Seashore, killing the pilot, a spokesman said.

A signal was transmitted from an emergency locator transmitter to the U.S. Coast Guard around 1 p.m. Thursday, according to John Dell'Osso. 

A signal from another transmitter was received from the south end of the Point Reyes National Seashore in the Bolinas area, and 20 to 30 people searched on land until 3 a.m. Friday, Dell'Osso said.

The land search resumed around 8 a.m., he said.

The plane was found just before 1 p.m. and the pilot was declared deceased at the scene.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office's Search and Rescue Team, Bolinas Fire Department, Marin County Fire, Napa County Search and Rescue, National Park Service, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, California Highway Patrol and Civil Air Patrol contributed to the search, Dell'Osso said.

An ELT transmitter is designed to send a signal when there is a significant impact, California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Air Operations Unit Sgt. Rich Bookbinder said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, officials said.

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