
Small Plane Crashes at Port of LA, Killing Pilot and Injuring Trucker
A single-engine
private airplane crashed into one of the container yards at the Port of Los
Angeles. The pilot was killed in the crash and one person on the ground was
seriously injured.
The Los Angeles
Fire Department reported that the single-engine Piper PA-32 lost power shortly
after noon on February 19 crashing into a remote section of the port in one of
the container yards. As the plane was coming down, it struck one of the
semi-tractor trailers seriously injuring the driver of the rig.
The pilot died at the scene of the accident
Workers in the
port who saw the accident rushed to the plane and pulled the pilot, Larry Voit,
age 53, from the wreckage and gave him CPR until the fire department and
paramedics arrived. The pilot died at the scene of the accident.
Truck driver transported to hospital in serious condition
The driver of the
truck, a 30-year-old man, was also pulled from the wreckage. He was transported
to the hospital in serious condition.
Firefights
remained on the scene cleaning up a fuel spill from the crash. Investigators
from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation
Administration are reportedly investigating the cause of the crash. They
reported the plane had taken off from Torrance, California, about 20 miles
north, and no immediate details on its destination were announced.
Operations at the
Port of Los Angeles and the terminal resumed after the emergency response.