Two people have died following the crash of a small aircraft into a residential neighborhood in Simi Valley, Southern California, on Saturday afternoon.
According to the Ventura County Fire Department, the single-engine plane struck two homes northwest of Los Angeles, damaging the structures but sparing the occupants, who escaped without injury.
“Police and the medical examiner’s office verified there were two passengers in the aircraft, both of whom were fatally injured in the accident,” the department confirmed in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The crash occurred around 2:00 p.m., with Simi Valley police locating the wreckage in the backyard of one of the residences. Firefighters responding to the scene found extensive damage, including holes in rooftops, shattered fences, and broken trees.
Authorities revealed the plane was a Van’s RV-10, a four-seat, single-engine aircraft. It had departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Los Angeles County and was en route to Camarillo Airport in Ventura County when the crash occurred.
CBS News reported that a dog was also on board the aircraft at the time of the crash, though its condition was not immediately clear.
This tragedy echoes a similar incident in January, when another Van’s RV-10 crashed into a commercial building near Fullerton Municipal Airport, killing two and injuring 18.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of Saturday's crash.
