MORONGO VALLEY – Confusion between an air traffic controller and a pilot appears to have preceded the crash of a small plane in the Little San Bernardino Mountains. The pilot and passenger were killed in the October 17th crash. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) showed the plane was on a return flight to Santa Barbara after a stop in Palm Springs. The pilot did not file a flight plan, but was in radio and radar contact with Southern California TRACON. There were several radio exchanges as the pilot was repeatedly asked which path he would fly around Mt. San Gorgonio. During a 14 minute period, the plane made six climbing turns before heading east and descending. There was no response as the pilot was warned of high terrain. The plane crashed into a boulder-strewn ridge in the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and caught fire. The NTSB will also consider whether the pilot may have suffered an in-flight medical emergency before issuing its finding of probable cause. The 47-year-old aircraft was registered to Robert Trimble of Santa Barbara. The FAA said