The actions of police officers with the Los Angeles Police Department went viral on Sunday evening after they pulled a pilot out a small aircraft, which was forced to make an emergency landing on railroad tracks, moments before the plane was obliterated by an oncoming train.
LAPD said in a statement, “Foothill Division Officers displayed heroism and quick action by saving the life of a pilot who made an emergency landing on the railroad tracks at San Fernando Rd. and Osborne St., just before an oncoming train collided with the aircraft.”
WATCH:
Foothill Division Officers displayed heroism and quick action by saving the life of a pilot who made an emergency landing on the railroad tracks at San Fernando Rd. and Osborne St., just before an oncoming train collided with the aircraft. pic.twitter.com/DDxtGGIIMo
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 10, 2022
Other video from the incident that was recorded from a slightly different location showed just how close the police and the pilot were when the train made impact with the plane.
Train crashes into plane at Whiteman Airport Van Nuys, CA #ABC7Eyewitness #breakingnews @FOXLA @ABC7 @KTLA pic.twitter.com/D1eEtvaajF
— Luis Jimenez (@ComposerLuis) January 9, 2022
The Associated Press reported that the pilot was hospitalized following the incident and that his condition was unknown.
NBC Los Angeles reported:
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was a single-engine Cessna 172. They confirmed the pilot was the only person on board, and that no one on the ground was injured. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, the FAA said in a statement. Future updates on the crash will be handled by the NTSB.
No fire was caused by the plane’s crash, and a minor fuel spill has been contained by firefighters. The damaged airplane is still in the area of the Metrolink Antelope Valley line train tracks, as of 2:30 p.m., according to the LAFD. Train movement in the area has been restricted.
The FAA said that the aircraft was owned by a by a Santa Clarita resident and that its registration was valid through May 2025.
“You will not see more dramatic video than this,” local news anchor Jory Rand tweeted. “LAPD officers save a pilot just before his crashed plane is hit by a train!”
“This video is just absolutely insane,” writer Jason Rabinowitz tweeted. “Those cops saved a life were mere seconds to spare.”
Numerous people online called the police officers heroes for saving the man’s life as the train rapidly approached.
“These officers are absolute heroes. They saved his life,” political commentator Ian Miles Cheong tweeted. “The pilot would be dead if not for their bravery.”