Temecula Pilot ID'd In Fatal Plane Crash At French Valley Airport

MURRIETA, CA — A Temecula pilot died, and three others suffered minor to severe injuries when a single-engine Cessna 172 went down Tuesday afternoon in French Valley.

Jared Newman, 39, was identified by the coroner as the crash victim. He was confirmed as the pilot of the downed plane, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Tawny Castro. According to reports, he was learning how to fly the airplane during the crash.

Tuesday afternoon the small plane crashed just after takeoff at the Murrieta commuter airport in the 37000 block of Industry Way in Murrieta. Newman was pronounced dead at the crash scene a short time later, and a ground ambulance drove the three injured victims to a nearby hospital. One crash victim suffered only minor injuries, while the two others were listed with moderate and serious injuries, according to Castro.

Officials have not yet released why the plane crashed and the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident that occurred shortly after takeoff.

FAA records indicated that Newman obtained his student pilot certificate in September 2020, but did not have a recreational pilot, sport pilot or private pilot license.

However, according to Stephanie Bowden, manager of business operations/VA SCO for EFI Flight School/California Professional Flyers, Newman was newly licensed to fly on June 19, making him legally authorized to carry passengers.

Newman received his training at EFI, according to Bowden, who said his online records had not yet been updated in the FAA database at the time of the crash.

Whether any of the injured passengers was serving as an instructor on that flight was not released, and the victims and their conditions remain unidentified.

Photos from the scene show that the plane was upside down and had collided with the side of an airport building.