At least two dead in medical plane crash

At least two people died when a plane headed to Oakland this morning from Crescent City crashed in Humboldt County, county officials said.

A Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team located the crash at about 10 a.m. on the property of a private timber company in the Crannell area of the county.

The Piper Cheyenne plane associated with Reach Air Medical Services and Cal-Ore Life Flight left Crescent City Airport for Oakland International Airport at 12:29 a.m.

Four people were on board including a pilot, a medic, nurse and patient, Cal-Ore officials said.

The plane went missing near Arcata after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit at about 1 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The pilot notified air traffic controllers that he was going to return to Crescent City and Cal-Ore officials said they lost contact with the pilot at 1:05 a.m.