Fatal Crash: 1 Killed after Plane Collision in mid-air in Lancaster, California
Two small planes crashed into each other in midair on Sunday afternoon in Lancaster, California. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is looking into the incident.
At 12:53 p.m., an L.A. County Fire Department representative told KTLA on Nexstar that they received a call of two downed planes.
Later, county fire officials verified that the planes really did crash in midair. One pilot died, and the other said he was unharmed.
According to fire officials, one of the airplanes made a crash landing, and the California Highway Patrol verified to KTLA that the other aircraft went down about two miles southeast.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement released roughly two hours following the crash that the two aircraft involved were a Yakovlev Yak-52 and a Nanchang CJ-6, both of which were single-engine aircraft.
The FAA further stated that the pilots were the only people in their own aircraft.
Witnesses informed KTLA that following his jet crash, the captain of one of the aircraft was seen wandering about outdoors and looked upset.
One witness said, “He said he was okay, but he said it was terrible.”
Authorities stated that the pilot is assisting them.
If the crash had happened directly over homes instead than in a more remote place, it might have caused more damage.
Another witness remarked, “There would have been a lot of people if it was over the city of L.A. or something.” “Actually, it was a blessing in disguise that it occurred here.”
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol are on the scene conducting the investigation. The NTSB will also carry out its own investigation to determine what caused the tragedy.
As of Sunday night, the pilot’s name had not been made public
