A small plane that made an emergency landing along a road in Orange County crashed into a tree on Monday, injuring two people, authorities said.
Audio from the crash shows that before the crash, the pilot told air traffic controllers there was engine turbulence, but did not call for help. However, about a minute later, the plane suddenly declared an emergency landing.
Flight trajectory records show the plane, a Mooney M20 with two passengers on board, climbed to an altitude of about 2,100 feet and reached 110 mph before rapidly descending around 1:45 p.m. The crash occurred along Artesia Boulevard, just east of the Fullerton Airport, according to the Fullerton Fire Department. The passenger suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the hospital.
The plane was not the first flight of the day and had just flown out of La Verne’s airport. The plane has logged more than a dozen flights since Nov. 12, most of them lasting less than an hour.
The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation and aims to issue a preliminary accident report on Tuesday, a spokeswoman said.
Photos from KTLA-TV showed firefighters swarming the plane. A tree appeared to be sticking out near the cockpit.
Artesia Boulevard was closed to traffic in both directions between Gilbert and Dale Streets Monday night while authorities investigated.
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