An officer is being hailed as a hero after he rescued a pilot from a burning plane, which crashed into a field near a highway in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The small plane, a Cirrus SR22 that was carrying two people, crashed near the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport at around 2:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Jan. 29, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in astatement.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff
California Highway Patrol (CHP)shared on Facebookthat one of its officers — identified as Officer Ayala — witnessed the plane crash while carrying out a “traffic stop” on Highway 101. CHP wrote that while the plane’s “parachute had deployed,” flames “quickly engulfed the wreckage.”
“Abandoning the stop, Officer Ayala raced to the scene, jumped a chain-link fence and found the injured pilot crawling from the burning aircraft,” CHP wrote. “As fire spread, he pulled the pilot to safety just moments before the plane exploded.”
An aerial view of the plane crash site in Santa Barbara, Calif.Santa Barbara County Sheriff
Zick shared in the post that the crash site was located “near” Highway 101 “between Los Carneros and Storke," and asked the public at the time to “please avoid the area and make way for equipment responding.”
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Zick shared in a separate post onXthat two people onboard” the aircraft were “transported” to the hospital “with serious injuries.” She also said there were “no fatalities on scene."
CHP praised Officer Ayala for his efforts in saving the pilot before the aircraft erupted in fire, writing that thanks to Ayala’s “bravery and quick action, lives were saved that day.”
“Great job, Officer Ayala!” CHP added. “Your courage exemplifies what it means to protect and serve your community.”
The FAA said it will investigate the incident.
source: people.com
