Friend identifies pilot killed in Mount Diablo plane crash

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (KGO) -- The pilot killed in a plane crash on Mount Diablo during this weekend's storm has been identified on a Facebook memorial page.

"All of us at Julian Rock Memorial are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend, Chris de Bar," the page says.

Chris was killed when his plane crashed some time between Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

In an email to ABC7 News, the FAA confirms that the single-engine Mooney M20 plane took off from the Hayward Executive airport Friday night enroute to Lincoln, California. But the plane wasn't discovered until Saturday afternoon, when it was spotted by some hikers.

Friends describe Chris as a "huge personality," and thanked him for his "energy, passion, and support."

Mt. Diablo park rangers combed through thick brush and vegetation trying to reach a small plane that crashed into the side of Mt. Diablo. The pilot, who was the only person onboard, died in the crash.