The pilot who died in the crash of an experimental plane has been identified

The 57-year-old man who died when his experimental plane crashed near Jamul earlier this month has been identified by the county medical examiner as Craig Cornford of San Diego.

Cornford his plane crashed – Mustang II – less than 15 minutes after takeoff from Gillespie Field in El Cajon in the early afternoon of Oct. 4, according to a preliminary investigation report National Highway Traffic Safety Council. He was the only person on board and died on impact, officials said.

Citing information from air traffic control, the NTSB said the plane took off from Gillespie at about 12:25 p.m. and crashed at about 12:38 p.m.

After taking off from Runway 27L, Cornford flew south to Jamul and climbed to about 3,000 feet. He traveled about 13 miles before turning left near Lion Peak in East County. It traveled about four more miles, climbing to an altitude of about 4,600 feet, before changing course and heading back toward Lion Peak, the NTSB said.

Radar tracking of the plane ended at 12:38 p.m. near Lyons Peak, the NTSB said. Visibility that day was about 10 miles, partly cloudy.

A witness called 911 to report hearing “spray” from the plane in the air and a “loud bang,” the county medical examiner’s office said.

Sheriff’s deputies on the ground and an ASTREA helicopter crew immediately responded to the Jamula area to search for the aircraft. They searched the area and eventually spotted the debris on a cliff adjacent to Lion Peak, officials said.

The plane crashed in a remote area near Granite Oaks Road and Lien Peak Road. Cal Fire crews had to cut through brush to gain access to the remote crash site, officials said.

A final general aviation accident report could take 12 to 24 months to complete.

The Mustang II is a two-seater aerobatic aircraft with a bubble dome and built from a kit. The planes are considered to be hobbyist experimental aircraft, an NTSB spokesman said.

On his Facebook page, Cornford posted a photo of his plane, which featured a horse on the tail and a mountain scene with pine trees on the bottom of the fuselage.