202001.04
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Pilot killed when small, homebuilt plane crashes off the 14 Freeway in Santa Clarita

by in News

The pilot was killed when a small, homebuilt plane with engine trouble crashed near a 14 Freeway off-ramp in Santa Clarita Saturday morning, authorities said.

The plane nose-dived near the Newhall Avenue off-ramp off the northbound 14 Freeway just before 10:15 a.m., eyewitnesses said, and burst into flames.

One person was killed, Los Angeles County Fire officials said. It was believed the pilot was the only person on board, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.


An FAA investigator looks at part of the wing of a small private plane that broke up after hitting a tree and burning when it crashed near a park and ride on Newhall Avenue. (Photo by Michael Meadows, special to the Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

There were no reported injuries to anyone on the ground and there was no damage to structures, Gregor said.

The plane took off from the Van Nuys Airport, but the destination was unknown, Gregor said. The plane crashed about five miles north of the airport.


“He’s a hero, because he could have hit the freeway,” a man who was on his way to Lancaster when he saw the crash told a videographer at the scene.

The man, whose name was not available, said he looked up and saw the plane with smoke coming out the back before it nose-dived.

Air traffic control radio traffic from the Van Nuys Airport tower indicated the pilot was headed in the direction of the airport from the Newhall pass when he ran into trouble and told the tower he’d need to land quickly.

“Are you inbound, sir? Or do you need to land in the Newhall Pass?” the tower radioed to the pilot.

“I can’t see a thing, lost an engine,” the pilot is heard saying about 10:09 a.m. “I’m going to have to put it down.”

Just after 10:10 a.m., another pilot found the plane.

“It doesn’t look good at all,” he told the tower. “It’s off the 14 at Newhall Avenue in the exit area. There’s just flaming debris right now.”

The right lane of the northbound 14 Freeway and the Newhall Avenue on- and off-ramps were closed. Authorities said access to and from the northbound 14 Freeway from Newhall Avenue would be closed until at least 10 a.m. Sunday.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, Gregor said.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as information becomes available.