Small Plane Crash Sparks 15-Acre Brush Fire Near Sleepy Valley
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A small plane crashed in the Sleepy Valley area, sparking a brush fire that burned 15 acres, a county fire official said.
The crash and fire were reported at 6:42 p.m. near Steele Street and Sierra Highway, Capt. Mark Savage of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
The pilot, identified by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as Davis Zeituni, 50, and 52-year-old passenger Danny Santana both managed to escape the aircraft, which caught fire immediately upon impact, Savage said.
The Stinson 108-3 left Agua Dulce airport on its way to a dirt strip two miles northwest of the area and was unable to climb out of the steep terrain, said Allen Kenitzer of the Federal Aviation Administration.
"The aircraft crashed during an aborted off-airport landing," Kenitzer said.
The two men were rescued by a helicopter and taken to Henry Mayo Hospital, according to the sheriff's department.
The FAA was investigating the cause of the crash.
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