SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — A small, home-built airplane crashed into a Simi Valley neighborhood on Saturday afternoon, killing the pilot and igniting a fire that damaged two homes, officials confirmed.
The crash occurred around 2:10 p.m. near High Meadow Street and Wood Ranch Parkway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft, identified as a Vans RV-10, went down shortly after departing from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster. It was en route to Camarillo Airport.
The unidentified pilot, who was the sole occupant of the plane, died at the scene, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd told reporters at a press conference.
About 40 firefighters responded to the scene and were able to quickly contain and extinguish the blaze. Despite the severity of the crash, no one inside the affected homes was injured.
Shelby Joice, a resident who lives across the street from the crash site, described the terrifying moment to ABC News.
“All of a sudden, we heard a big crash and our entire house started shaking,” Joice said. “We actually thought something crashed into our house.” She added that they saw a “big, massive fireball” and thick black smoke rise from the scene.
The FAA said it will work alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.
Simi Valley is located approximately 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
More details will be released as the investigation progresses.


