Hesperia, United States: Two people were killed after a Midfield Aviation-operated single-engine Aeronca Champion crashed near Hesperia Airport in California on 24 September 2026. The aircraft came down in a rural area off Summit Valley Road, east of Maple Avenue, about two miles from the airport.
The crash was reported at about 9:45 a.m., with San Bernardino County Fire receiving a call at approximately 9:58 a.m. about an aircraft down. Firefighters found the aircraft nose-down in an open, sparsely vegetated area and confirmed two fatalities at the scene. Both occupants were found inside the aircraft.
San Bernardino County Fire spokeswoman Chris Prater and multiple witnesses reported seeing the single-engine aircraft “spiraling out of the sky” before it crashed. Fire crews reported seeing no smoke or fire when they arrived, and there was no indication in the reports of a post-crash fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as an Aeronca Champion. Midfield Aviation, based at Apple Valley Airport, confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the company but had not released the identities of the two people aboard. Midfield Aviation operates a flight school and provides flight training from Apple Valley, but authorities and the company have not confirmed that the accident flight was a training flight.
The two occupants have so far been described only as the aircraft’s occupants; their identities, ages and backgrounds had not been publicly released in the latest reports. Reports also have not established where the aircraft had departed from, where it was headed or whether it had taken off from Hesperia Airport before the crash.
The Hesperia Police Department said deputies were “currently working the scene of a small plane crash off of Summit Valley Road” and asked the public to remain clear of the area while investigators worked. The department said Summit Valley Road remained open to traffic.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. No official cause has been released, and authorities have not yet said what caused the aircraft to lose control or descend into the field. The investigation will determine the aircraft’s flight history, operating circumstances and the sequence leading to the fatal crash.
At this stage, the confirmed sequence is that the aircraft was seen spiraling downward, crashed nose-first in a rural area near Hesperia Airport, and killed both people aboard. Details about the occupants, intended route, flight purpose, aircraft registration and the cause of the crash remain pending the official investigation.
