The pilot of a four-seat airplane hit a tree while attempting to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport on Monday afternoon, Nov. 25.
First responders went to the area of Gilbert Street and Artesia Avenue shortly after 1:45 p.m., said Kristy Wells, a spokeswoman for Fullerton police.
Both people on board suffered moderate injuries, authorities said, with the plane ending up about a half-mile from the runway’s edge.
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The plane, a 1969 Mooney M-20, took off about 1:40 p.m., according to data on FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot said he was experiencing “engine roughness,” and the tower cleared the pilot to come back to land.
A short time later, the pilot radioed “Mayday” and said he was going to attempt to make an emergency landing near the train tracks.
Video from the scene showed the plane landing on the street between a commercial building and a railroad track. Upon landing, the plane careened to the side and collided with a tree, which appeared to make contact with the wing of the plane and then the body, according to video from news organization OC Hawk.
City News Service and reporter Sierra van der Brug contributed to this report.