01 July, 2017

Small Plane Crashes on US Freeway

A small plane crash-landed on a freeway in Orange County, California, on Friday morning, critically injuring two people on board and snarling traffic on a major north-south artery through the area, authorities said.

The fiery crash was captured on cell-phone video by a driver and broadcast on local KABC-TV. It showed the twin-engine Cessna 310 as it passed low over the northbound side of the San Diego (405) freeway in southern California before slamming into the ground on the southbound lanes.




The aircraft, which appeared to be rapidly losing power, is seen leveling out slightly before hitting the ground and bursting into flames about 1,000 feet from a runway at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot declared an emergency shortly after taking off from John Wayne airport and was trying to return there when the plane crashed at about 9:35 a.m. local time.

 A small plane crashed on the 405 Freeway near John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, U.S., June 30, 2017.
A small plane crashed on the 405 Freeway near John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, U.S., June 30, 2017.  Courtesy of Rafi Mamalian/Handout via REUTERS
Courtesy of Rafi Mamalian/Handout via REUTERS

Search