Report of Rancho Palos Verdes plane crash is deemed a false alarm

The L.A. County Fire Department determined that a reported plane crash off Rancho Palos Verdes was a false alarm and ended its search around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

A 911 caller reported that the crash had occurred near Palos Verdes and Narcissa drives around 4:30 p.m., according to the Fire Department.

A search then took place around the Sacred Cove, Portuguese Point and Abalone Cove areas, said the department's Lifeguard Division spokesperson Kealiinohopono Barnes.

The L.A. County Lifeguards Marine Technical Search Team used drones to search from the air and sonar techniques to search in the water, he said. The Lifeguard Division also had divers searching the ocean, he added.

The Fire Department was on scene and worked with the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration to investigate whether there was a plane that recently disappeared from radar, he said.

The L.A. County sheriff's Aero Bureau was also notified, and deployed personnel to search the area.

Times staff writer Karen Garcia contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .