The fiery crash happened at about 6:24 p.m. near Hargrave Street and Malki Road, just east of the Banning Municipal Airport, according to the CalFire/Riverside County Fire Department.
Fire crews say the pilot was the only person inside the small plane when it crashed in some brush off the freeway.
Footage from the scene showed responding firefighters working to contain a quarter-acre brush fire caused by the crash.
No freeway lanes were shut down, but trains moving through the area were stopped at one point.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.