Small Plane Crashes, Pilot Killed Merced County California

A small private plane that took off from an airport near San Jose crashed in Merced County, California, killing the sole pilot on board. The crash occurred just south of Los Banos near Interstate 5, where the plane was reported to have been circling for about an hour before nose-diving to the ground. Authorities, including the Merced County Sheriff's Office, arrived at the scene and confirmed there were no other passengers. Sheriff Vern Warnke noted that the initial response had hoped to be a rescue operation but was later confirmed to be fatal. The pilot's identity has not been released, and investigations are ongoing with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coordinating the inquiry. Officials have stated they will provide further updates as more information becomes available.