Solvang Pilot Killed in Crash Near Figueroa Mountain

Solvang resident Pierre Josefsohn, 68, was killed in a small aircraft crash near Figueroa Mountain, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.

Josefsohn, an experienced pilot, had left early Wednesday afternoon in his 2006 single-engine Aviat for a quick flight around the area, but his family became concerned when he did not return and failed to contact them. A tracking system on his plane indicated it was located approximately two miles south of Ranger Peak. A Sheriff’s helicopter was dispatched but the search was suspended because of foggy weather.

At daybreak Thursday morning, a Search and Rescue Team began searching by foot and located Josefsohn’s plane on the side of a steep hillside known as Goat Rock. His body was inside. Officials are working to determine the cause of the crash and the incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Josefsohn leaves behind a wife and two children.