An investigation is underway after two people and a dog were killed in a small airplane crash in a Simi Valley neighborhood on Saturday, authorities said.
The crash was reported sometime before 2 p.m. near the intersection of South Wood Ranch Parkway and High Meadow Street in the Wood Ranch neighborhood of Simi Valley, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency said a Vans RV-10 is what crashed in the area; neighbors said the aircraft hit two homes.
The pilot, a passenger on the plane and a dog were all killed in the crash, according to Simi Valley police.
The airplane was headed toward Camarillo Airport after it departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster.
Aerial footage from NewsChopper 4 showed smoke coming from the roof of a home. Debris from the impact of the crash was seen between two homes. Firefighters were also seen assessing the scene.
Residents were inside their homes at the time of the crash but were able to get out safely and uninjured, Ventura County Fire said. Both homes sustained structural damage, the fire agency added.
“Circling around the house, I heard a loud bang and then an explosion in the yard,” said Arman Hovakemian, a Simi Valley resident. “I tried to put out the fire on the plane, but it exploded and I could smell a lot of fuel and gas, so I just left the area.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct the investigation on the cause of the crash.
Editor’s note: Simi Valley Police initially believed the pilot was the sole occupant in the aircraft.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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