Sunday, 25 August 2024

(Photos courtesy of VCFD PIO)

Updated to include aircraft type involved – The Ventura County Fire Department said a small single-engine plane crashed Sunday afternoon, causing a fire and leaving the pilot with life-threatening injuries.

It occurred around 12:24 p.m. east of Santa Paula Airport and west of the 12th Street Bridge.

The NTSB described the aircraft as an “experimental, amateur-built Pitts S-1” aircraft.

The private plane was reportedly approaching the airport.

The pilot was the only person on board the single-seat plane when it crashed on Sunday and was flown to the VCMC trauma center with injuries described as life-threatening.

The pilot’s current condition is unknown.

No injuries were reported on the ground.

The violent crash occurred a few miles west of where another small single-engine private plane had made an emergency landing in the Santa Clara Riverbed southwest of Fillmore the day before.

The pilot of the aircraft and the only person on board were uninjured and the aircraft suffered only minor damage.

The emergency landing on Saturday in the riverbed near Fillmore was reportedly due to engine failure.

The cause of Sunday’s crash and fire near the east end of Santa Paula Airport remains under investigation by the NTSB.

Although the Ventura County Department of Airports does not have jurisdiction over the Santa Paula Airport, it issued this press release on Sunday regarding the Santa Paula Airport crash.

Here it is…

“On Sunday at 12:24 p.m., the crash of a private single-seat aircraft was reported near South 12.^th Street in Santa Paula. The plane was already engulfed in flames when paramedics, police and firefighters arrived. One person was on board and was airlifted to Ventura County Medical Center with significant injuries. No other people were involved. The cause of the incident is unknown. The plane, which was en route to Santa Paula Airport, landed in a pile of pipes on a nearby industrial site. No further damage to property was reported. There is currently no update on the pilot’s condition. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been notified and will continue to investigate the incident.”