(KTLA) – A pedestrian at a park in California was struck by a small aircraft that crashed during an attempted emergency landing on Tuesday, officials confirmed to Nexstar’s KTLA.
The emergency landing attempt occurred at around 4 p.m. on a soccer field at Heartwell Park in Long Beach, according to fire officials.
Details of the plane’s point of departure, or intended destination, were not immediately available. It’s also unclear if the pilot of the possibly experimental aircraft was trying to make it to the Long Beach Airport, which is approximately a mile northeast of the crash-landing site.
“When units arrived, they found one small aircraft on its belly with broken landing gear,” fire officials said. “The plane’s fuselage was intact.”
The pedestrian, only described as a woman in her 40s, was taken to the hospital. The pilot, an elderly male, was also hospitalized after being removed from the aircraft by firefighters. Officials said that both suffered moderate injuries and were in stable condition.
Aerial footage of the crash site showed firefighters and police in an area of the park that had been cordoned off while crews investigated the wreckage. Bits of debris could be seen near the aircraft’s left side rear wing, which appeared to be severely cracked.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration is not responding to requests for additional information amid the ongoing government shutdown.
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