Pilot killed when historic plane crashes into prison compound in western Riverside County

The Associated Press

A pilot was killed when the last remaining prototype of a 1940s aircraft crashed in the exercise yard of a state prison in Norco on Monday, authorities said.

The Northrop N-9M crashed about midday "under unknown circumstance" at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, about 15 miles west of Riverside, shortly after takeoff from nearby Chino Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

The pilot, whose name was not immediately released, was killed on impact, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. He was the only occupant of the plane, which was consumed by fire.

Correctional personnel and county firefighters contained a small blaze within 20 minutes, according to reports from the scene.

Television news footage showed debris spread across a scorched patch of empty yard at the prison.

Several people in the area reported hearing a loud noise and then seeing smoke rising into the air.

Susan Fracol, who watched the plane go down, told reporters it was "heartbreaking" to witness.

The Northrop N-9MB Flying Wing, built in 1944, performs for the crowd at the first annual L.A. County Air Show in March 2014. This plane crashed on Monday at a state prison in Norco. It was built as the fourth and final plane in a series of test aircraft for the Northrop XB-35 Flying Wing bombers. The aircraft was one of four prototypes built by Northrop, but was the only surviving aircraft left. The plane is the grandfather of today's B-2 stealth bomber. The N-9MB was owned and restored by the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, Calif.

The N-9M was developed in the 1940s by aviation pioneer Jack Northrop as a predecessor to what he hoped would be a full-size heavy bomber. That program was canceled, but many years later the flying wing concept resurfaced as what became the B-2 stealth bomber.

The N9M had two push-propellers mounted behind the cockpit.

Only one of the four N-9Ms constructed survived and was returned to flying condition in 1994. FAA records show the owner as the Planes of Fame aircraft museum in Chino. Museum officials didn't immediately return a call seeking information.

According to the air museum's website, the plane was built in 1944 "as the fourth and final in a series of 1/3 scale test models for the Northrop XB-35 Flying Wing bombers." Each prototype had a different color scheme, it said.

"The N-9MB was obtained from the U.S. Air Force by Ed Maloney of Planes of Fame Air Museum in the 1950s," the website says. "Restoration was begun by museum staff in 1981 and was completed 13 years later. It was painted in its original yellow-over-blue scheme. Flight testing was completed in 1996."

The plane was about 18 feet long and had a 60-foot wingspan.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, Kenitzer said.

Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation didn't immediately respond to calls and emails seeking additional details.

The prison houses about 3,400 men.

There were no injuries to staff or inmates at the lockup. The California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation was expected to issue a statement about the crash on Monday.

Information from City News Service was used in this report.