PASADENA, Calif. --
Two off-duty Pasadena firefighters were killed in a private plane crash in Mexico, department officials announced Friday.
Kenneth Soltis, 47, from La Verne, and Agua Dulce resident John Kiesow, 49, who was piloting the aircraft, were killed Thursday afternoon, said Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.
She said both men were due at work at 7 a.m. Friday.
The plane went down in the Sea of Cortez off Baja, Mexico, she said.
The cause of the crash was unknown.
She said the firefighters were the only people aboard the aircraft.
Soltis, called "Barney" by his peers, worked at the Pasadena Fire Department for more than 20 years. He was known by fellow firefighters for his talented carpentry work, Derderian said.
Soltis is survived by his wife, Shanna, and three daughters, ages 13, 18 and 20, Derderian said.
Kiesow was a 26-year fire department veteran and an avid airplane enthusiast, according to Derderian. Kiesow's father, a flight instructor, taught him how to fly, she said, adding that he also enjoyed building and flying model airplanes.
Kiesow is survived by his wife, Verlene, a son, Arthur, and two daughters, Charlene and Jennifer, Derderian said.
