Two Injured after Small Plane Crashes on 405 Freeway Near John Wayne Airport

Two people suffered injuries after a small airplane crashed on the 405 Freeway near John Wayne Airport in Orange County the morning of Friday, June 30, 2017. According to a KABC news report, the twin-engine Cessna 310 crashed at around 9:30 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway. Video from the scene of the plane crash shows chaos on the freeway soon after impact.

Plane Lost Right Engine

Fire officials who responded to the incident said two people aboard the plane, one male and one female, sustained traumatic injuries and were airlifted to an area hospital. The plane had left John Wayne Airport Friday morning. Shortly after takeoff the pilot declared an emergency and was trying to return to the airport when the plane crashed. In a recording of the mayday call, the pilot can be heard telling the control tower that he was trying to get a little altitude. He then said that he lost his right engine.

The plan only clipped one vehicle as it crashed on the freeway. No one on the ground was injured and the damage to the clipped vehicle was minimal. The driver of that vehicle said the plane struck the rear end of his pickup truck, which then went out of control. The driver said he initially thought they had been hit by a large truck. The freeway was shut down in both directions at MacArthur due to crash debris. The extent of injuries to the two victims is not known. According to records, the plane was most recently in the air Thursday when it flew from John Wayne to Ontario and back.

It is indeed fortunate that no one was killed in this crash. This could have been a lot worse. We wish the injured the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Ongoing Investigation

We trust officials are still looking into what caused the crash. There are still a number of unanswered questions here. What caused the right engine to fail? Was a defective part involved or was it simply a mechanical malfunction? Was the pilot properly trained to fly the aircraft? Did this occur due to pilot error? We trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what occurred and why.

In this particular case, if a defective airplane or faulty part caused the crash, the manufacturer of the defective part can be held liable. In cases involving pilot error or negligence, the pilot or his or her employer can also be held liable. An experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled similar cases will be able to advise injured victims regarding their legal rights and options.