Officials on Thursday identified the pilot who died when his plane crashed into a Santa Barbara County school playground as a 38-year-old Burbank man.
Tigran Garabedyan was the sole occupant of the single-engine Cirrus SR20 that burst into flames upon crashing at Ralph Dunlap Elementary School in the Orcutt area around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to county sheriff’s officials.
The aircraft took off that morning from Van Nuys Airport. Witnesses told KTLA the plane plummeted from the sky before exploding into flames.
The plane was about 3 miles from the Santa Maria Airport at the time, authorities said.
Investigators have said Garabedyan died on impact.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are continuing to investigate the crash, and no cause has been determined.
