1 Dead After Homemade ‘Experimental Plane’ Crashes and Collides with Tree

Kirsty Hatcher
·2 min read

The plane crashed shortly after leaving Corona Municipal Airport in California on Saturday

<p>Alamy</p> A stock image of a VANS RV-8 plane

Alamy

A stock image of a VANS RV-8 plane

One person has died after a homemade “experimental” plane crashed and collided with a tree in California.

The incident happened on Saturday, and the crash resulted in a vegetation fire, according to a statement from the Corona Fire Department on Facebook. The statement also confirmed that one person died in the crash, which occurred near the intersection of Auburndale and W. Rincon streets.

Fire crews from the Corona Fire Department were able to extinguish the blaze.

According to local media outlet KTLA, video footage of the scene captured by news agency OnSceneTV showed that the plane had collided with a tree.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the National Transportation Safety Board said that the aircraft was an “experimental homebuilt Vans RV-8 airplane.”

Related: 2 Passengers Survive Small Plane Crash That Ended in Fiery Blaze on North Carolina Highway

The NTSB said they are investigating the crash, per the post.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane crashed shortly after departing from Corona Municipal Airport in California. “Only the pilot was on board,” the FAA said in a statement, adding the that type of aircraft was unknown at the time.

The crash occurred around 12:40 p.m. local time.

The location of the plane crash site in Corona, California
The location of the plane crash site in Corona, California

Related: Man Rescued After 9 Hours When Small Plane Crashes in the Florida Everglades

“The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate,” the statement continued. “The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates.”

According to KTLA, an investigator with the NTSB arrived at the site of the crash on Sunday morning to examine the scene and the aircraft.

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The investigation into the crash, according to the NTSB, per the outlet, will focus on the pilot, the aircraft and the “operating environment.”

The identity of the victim has not been released, according to CBS News.

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