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Pilot told to climb before plane crash in San Diego suburb

Southern California Plane Crash
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SANTEE, Calif. (AP) — Recordings show a twin-engine plane nose-dived into a San Diego suburb despite a concerned air traffic controller warning the pilot to climb to a higher altitude.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator arrived Tuesday to examine the path of destruction in Santee a day after the Cessna 340 smashed into a UPS van, killing the driver, and then igniting two houses.

United Parcel Service of America Inc. planned to hold a moment of silence for Steve Krueger who was remembered for his laugh. The pilot, an Arizona doctor, also died, and an elderly couple on the ground were hurt.

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