Updated 2/7/19 4 p.m.
Authorities have confirmed that the pilot and a passenger of the plane that crashed in the mountains northwest of Morongo Valley Tuesday evening were killed in the crash. Neither have yet been identified. An FAA spokesman said the Cessna 172 plane took off from the San Gabriel Valley airport about 5:30 p.m. and was bound for North Las Vegas airport. It crashed about 6:15 p.m. about two miles northwest of Indian Canyon and Highway 62. Investigators closed down the right lane of westbound Highway 62 while they recover the aircraft. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service said a winter storm warning was in place with wind gusts of about 50 miles per hour.
