Small Plane Misses Long Beach Runway, Goes Down Lakewood Boulevard, Crashes Into Fence

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) —  A small plane ran off the runway at Long Beach Airport Thursday evening and went down a stretch of Lakewood Boulevard before crashing into a chain-link fence, authorities said.

The single-engine Beechcraft sustained heavy damage after crashing around 9 p.m.

The unidentified pilot, a man in his 60s, was transported to a nearby hospital.

One fire official said the pilot was "a lucky guy" to have survived with only minor injuries.

"There was an aviation fuel leak that was noted, and that leak was mitigated," said Jake Heflin of the Long Beach Fire Department.

The plane had no passengers.

A driver at the scene was hit by debris. He was treated at the scene but did not need to be taken to a hospital.

Long Beach Police advised motorists to avoid southbound Lakewood from Carson and northbound Lakewood from Spring. Airport Boulevard is still accessible via Wardlow Road, police said.