Source: Plane That Crashed Near Fresno Was Stolen By Parolee. Cessna 172, N7582D.

FRESNO, California - KMPH News has uncovered new details about a small plane that crashed west of Fresno Sunday afternoon.

A source tells KMPH News the single-engine Cessna was stolen from Concord by a parolee.

Investigators say the aircraft went down, nose first, around 4 p.m. in the area of Garfield and Barstow. That's just west of Fresno's Island Water Park.

The pilot died in the crash. He was the only person on board.

Witnesses say the small plane was heading south when it came crashing down, taking out power lines, before landing in a canal.

The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

So far, they have not said what might have caused the plane to come down.

FRESNO COUNTY, California  -- The registered owner of the plane tells Action News the plane was stolen from a hangar in Concord.

The owner says someone took the plane from Buchanan Airfield in Concord sometime Thursday. He got a call from investigators last night alerting him about the crash. 

Investigators have not identified the pilot who was killed on impact, but they say he's in his 40's or 50's.

Fortunately the plane missed nearby homes -- landing just a few hundred yards away. "I know when I pulled up on this; I was very relieved to see where the plane was. Again, when the reports first came in, we were concerned someone on the ground could have been hurt or was hurt," said Brent Stalker with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. 

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash. 

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 7582D        Make/Model: C172      Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
  Date: 02/06/2012     Time: 0006

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: FRESNO   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWERLINES AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD 
  WAS FATALLY INJURED, 12 MILES FROM FRESNO, CA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: FRESNO, CA  (WP17)                    Entry date: 02/06/2012