Pilot injured in small plane crash in El Cajon
EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A small plane crashed in an El Cajon neighborhood Sunday night, leaving thousands without power for a short time.
Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area of Lily Ave and Clarke Drive in El Cajon for the time being after a small plane went down just after 6 p.m. Sunday.
A initial call for an aircraft standby at Gillespie Field turned into an emergency. According to the California Highway Patrol, the pilot reported leaking fuel before the plane went down. The pilot sustained moderate injuries in the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital.
No homes were hit, but the plane did hit some power lines and slid into a power pole, causing over 1,000 people to lose power Sunday evening, San Diego Gas & Electric’s outage map showed. All customers have since had their power restored.
Heartland Fire crews responded to the crash and are asking the public to avoid the area to allow space for the clean-up.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the crash in coordination with the El Cajon Police Department.
Investigators remained on scene Monday morning, as residents who live near the crash site came outside to see the wreckage.
One resident, Tim Vaclavek, described the ordeal to FOX 5/KUSI as scary, but he also credited the pilot for not having hit any homes.
“The plane was over our house sideways so if all of that is true, that pilot is a hero,” he said.
Christelle Koumoué and Elizabeth Alvarez contributed to this report
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
