Pilot injured when small plane crashes in El Cajon

A pilot was injured Sunday when a small plane crashed and knocked down power lines in El Cajon, a fire official said. No one on the ground was hurt.

The crash occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Lily Avenue near Clarke Drive after the pilot reported engine problems near Gillespie Field, according to Heartland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Andy McKellar. It was unclear if the pilot was on approach to Gillespie Field — about four miles from the crash site — or if the plane had taken off from the airport.

The pilot suffered unknown injuries and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital by paramedics, McKellar said.

No other injuries were reported. The plane knocked down power lines in the area.

In a statement posted to the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter, fire officials described the incident as a “small plane crash.” People were asked to avoid the area.

San Diego Gas and Electric’s outage map indicated over 1,000 customers were without electricity near the crash site and officials expected power to be restored by 9:30 p.m.

The incident is under investigation.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as information becomes available.