August 2, 2016 1:39 PM
VAN NUYS, CA (CBSLA.com) — One person was killed after a small plane has crashed into the side of a building near Van Nuys Airport.
Desmond Shaw, an airborne traffic reporter for KNX NEWSRADIO and CBS2/KCAL9, says he witnessed the crash just after it took off at about 1:15 p.m. into a building at 16145 West Hart Street, just a block away from the busy commuter airport.
Authorities confirmed one person was killed in the crash.
The building was not structurally damaged and there were no other injuries.
The plane was believed to be an Arion Lightning, a light-sport kit-type aircraft, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.
According to Gregor, the pilot was apparently performing “touch-and-go” practice maneuvers at Van Nuys Airport when the crash occurred.
Shaw described the plane as a lite sport aircraft and that the pilot complained of something banging around upon take-off, and that the tower said his landing gear was loose.
“Before they could clear him to land, he turned really hard to the left and was sideways,” Shaw said. “He started losing altitude, and my pilot was like, ‘He’s going to crash. He’s going to crash’ … He just nosedived. It all happened in about 15 seconds.”
“Never in all my time in the skies have I actually watched a plane crash…rather shaken up up here. Sometimes we forget the risks we take,” Shaw tweeted.
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Date:
02-AUG-2016
Time: 13:29
Type: Arion Lightning
Owner/operator:
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) Van Nuys, CA -
United States of America Phase: Landing
Nature: Training
Departure airport: Van Nuys (KVNY)
Destination airport: Van Nuys (KVNY)
Narrative:
While practicing touch-and-go landings, the aircraft, an experimental Arion Lightning, impacted a commercial building east of the departure end of Runway 16 at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) Van Nuys, California. The airplane was destroyed and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/08/02/van-nuys-plane-crash/
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-plane-crash-van-nuys-airport-20160802-snap-story.html
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1980748,-118.4851758,20z/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en-us
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Pilot killed in a plane crash near Van Nuys Airport
A small plane crashed into the side of a building near the Van Nuys Airport, fire officials said. (KTLA)
Veronica Rocha
The pilot of a light sport plane was killed Tuesday afternoon when the aircraft crashed against a building east of Van Nuys Airport, authorities said.
Firefighters worked to rescue the pilot trapped inside the single-engine plane at 1:29 p.m., according to Margaret Stewart, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles city Fire Department. The plane was resting up against the building.
There were no reports of significant structural damage to the building.
Authorities think the pilot was flying an Arion Lightning kit aircraft, said Ian Gregor, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings at Van Nuys Airport, he said. The touch-and-go procedure requires a pilot to land on a runway and then immediately take off, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn.
On his last touch-and-go run, the pilot made a hard landing, said Diana Sanchez, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles World Airports.
Airport officials have temporarily closed its 4,000-foot training runaway.
Live TV footage showed a damaged power pole and the wreckage of the plane along the side of a building in the 16000 block of West Hart Street.
The building appears to house Los Angeles Modern Auctions.
Firefighters warned that wires were down and that drivers should stay clear of the area.
UPDATES:
3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from a Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman.
2:55 p.m.: This article was updated with fire officials confirming the pilot was killed.
2:25 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.