GLENDALE, Calif. – A pilot was released early Tuesday from a hospital after suffering minor injuries when his single-engine plane crashed into a neighborhood, downing power lines but avoiding homes, authorities said. No one on the ground was hurt.
The Cessna 210 struck three power poles and a tree about 8:30 p.m. Monday before slamming into the ground. The aircraft was upside down in front of a home in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale. No homes were damaged.
The pilot, whose name wasn't immediately released, managed to free himself from the twisted wreckage and suffered some arm and shoulder bruising, police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
The plane was coming from Phoenix and heading to Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said. The pilot, flying alone, reported engine trouble near El Monte Airport, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.
The pilot told air traffic controllers he would try to make it to Van Nuys Airport, Gregor said, but controllers lost contact with the plane.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, but investigators have yet to speak to the pilot, Lorenz said.
According to the FAA Registry, the plane is owned by Allen K. Heng and James Roth. Heng told KCAL-TV he learned about the crash through news reports Monday night. He said that he and Roth use the plane for pleasure and work.
About 2,100 customers near the crash site were initially without electricity because of the downed power lines, but all but 300 homes had power restored by Tuesday morning.
Lorenz said he couldn't recall a plane crashing in Glendale, a city about 10 miles north of Los Angeles, which neighbors Burbank, home to a regional airport.
"It's a low occurrence event, but it does attract a lot of attention and gets people on edge," Lorenz said.
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