DEVELOPING: #LAFD on scene of small plane crash at Vanowen & Hayvenhurst in #VanNuys. STORY: http://t.co/GBX4ugGZwa pic.twitter.com/4GJSEznrgg
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) January 9, 2015
A small airplane crashed Friday near Van Nuys Airport shortly after takeoff, killing the pilot, authorities said.
The man, in his 40s, died at the scene of the crash that happened shortly after 1 p.m. at Hayvenhurst Avenue and Vanowen Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
No one else was aboard the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Ian Gregor, citing preliminary information, said the plane was a single-engine Lancair
The circumstances of the crash were under investigation.
The intersection where the plane went down was closed, according to reports from the scene, and Metro reported buses on Line 165 were being detoured from Vanowen Street to Victory Boulevard between Woodley Avenue and Balboa Boulevard.
The runway at Van Nuys Airport was inspected following the crash and is operational, according to spokeswoman Mary Grady.
— City News Service