The Beechcraft A36 went down around 2 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Images from the scene showed the plane with extensive damage. The plane struck a vacant lot, and there was no fire, fire officials said.
The Big Bear Fire Department said all three people aboard died in the crash.
The victims weren't immediately identified.
The cause of the crash was under investigation. Weather reports said it was partly cloudy at the time of the crash.
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It was the second deadly small plane crash in three days in Southern California. On Saturday, one person was killed when a single-engine plane slammed into a grassy hillside above homes in a Los Angeles neighborhood amid dense fog, authorities said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.