By Lina Bryce
A small plane has crashed in the backyard of a Compton home Wednesday afternoon, sending the pilot to the hospital.
Compton fire officials say the single-engine plane took off from Compton/Woodley Airport around 2:30 p.m., but its engine failed a few minutes later.
The aircraft had broken a wing and damaged a fence on the property where it went down, but missed a home and resulted in no injuries on the ground.
KTLA reported that Manuel Lopez spoke to the pilot immediately following the “hard landing” while helping him from the wreckage that was leaking fluid. Lopez said that the pilot was conscious but said he was bleeding and lost an eye.
“I just talked to the guy, said, ‘Don’t worry. … Don’t worry about your eye, you’re still alive, it’s more important,'” said Lopez.
The pilot was the only person aboard the single-engine Piper PA28, according to Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration, which will investigate the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board.
According to KABC, the plane was registered to Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, determined by the aircraft’s number. The registration expired on Sept. 30, according to the FAA registry.
