70-year-old pilot survives a small plane crash near the Lompoc Airport
UPDATE: 1:30 A.M.
Lompoc Police along with members of the National Transit Safety Board are investigating a small plane crash.
It happened at 9:15 p.m. near the Lompoc Airport on the 1700 block of North H Street, just a few hundred feet away from the River Edge Pet Lodge.
Lompoc Police say the 70-year-old pilot was the only person on board as the plane went down. They say he fell short of the runway. He was able to exit the plane safely, and only sustained minor injuries, a small laceration to his hand.
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When police arrived at the scene, the pilot was already out of the plane, trying to turn off the gas valve switch. Authorities say he was on final approach to the runway when the plane crashed.
Officer Eric Andreasen with the Lompoc Police said it was nothing short of a miracle, “He’s very lucky to walk away from this type of crash. I have a private pilot’s license and I’ve seen a lot of crashes similar to this and to walk away with just a scratch is absolutely amazing, there’s quite a bit of damage.”
Traffic on North H Street was redirected for a few hours, but the roadway has since been reopened.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were advised of the incident and will be conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Lompoc Police are at the scene of a plane crash near the airport.
The small private plane went down about 9 p.m. Monday night on the 1700 block of H Street near the River Edge Pet Lodge.
Crews on scene say the pilot fell short of the runway.
Fire Battalion Chief Brian Federmann said the pilot was the only person aboard and was out of the aircraft when crews arrived.
The pilot did not appear to have any injuries.
Federmann also said the landing did not spark a fire or cause damage to any nearby properties.
