Pilot Dead After ‘Experimental Homebuilt’ Plane Crashes In California

The pilot of what was described as an “experimental homebuilt” single-engine aircraft died when the plane crashed in a California neighborhood just one block from the airport where it took off.

The tragic incident happened on Saturday in Corona, roughly 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Authorities were called to the scene around 12:40 p.m. where the plane hit a tree.

The Federal Aviation Administration initially released a statement about the fatal accident. “A general aviation aircraft crashed shortly after departure from Corona Municipal Airport in California. Only the pilot was on board. The type of aircraft is unknown at this time.”

The National Transportation Safety Board later described the aircraft as a Van’s Aircraft RV-8, which is available as a kit. The unidentified pilot was the only person on board.

The crash started a small fire in the neighborhood which was extinguished by local firefighters. There were no injuries on the ground. First responders found the person dead inside the crashed aircraft. 

The NTSB posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the crashed aircraft was “an experimental homebuilt” plane. 

The plane almost immediately ran into trouble after takeoff, according to local media reports. Officials did not speculate as to a reason for the tragic accident, and an investigation by the NTSB is now ongoing.

There are roughly four civilian aircraft accidents every day in the U.S. According to the National Safety Council, planes registered in the country were involved in 1,139 crashes in 2020 and 1,225 in 2021.

Fatalities also increased in that span. There were 349 civilian plane crash deaths in 2020 followed by 376 in 2021. 

According to CNBC, the last American commercial flight disaster was in 2009. Continental Flight 3407 crashed into a home outside of Buffalo, New York, killing 49 passengers on the aircraft and one person on the ground.

The tragedy was blamed on pilot issues including fatigue and lack of training. This led to an overhaul of regulations including mandatory rest periods for pilots and requiring six times the previous flight experience.

There have been none since, and that’s with the FAA servicing 45,000 flights and nearly 3 million airline passengers every day.