Small plane crashes into 2 Simi Valley homes; plane occupant believed dead

A small plane crashed into two Simi Valley homes on Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Residents evacuated unharmed but an occupant on board the plane is believed to be dead.

Just before 2 p.m., the small plane crashed in the 200 block of High Meadows Street, said Simi Valley Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Chris Johnson.

A resident told RMG News he saw the plane come over the top of Wood Ranch Parkway from the south “flying very low and erratic.” He said two minutes went by before he heard the plane crash.

Two homes were damaged, the Ventura County Fire Department said in a social media post.

About 40 firefighters responded to the crash. In the social media post, the fire department said the firefighters knocked down the fire from the crash, and were  working on cleaning up the scene.

Residents were inside both homes at the time of the plane crash and were evacuated with no injuries, according to the VCFD.

“Preliminary reports indicate one fatality in the aircraft,” VCFD said on social media.

In a video posted by ABC7, firefighters stand on the damaged roof of one house. Below them lies a yard with scattered tables, chairs, and other items. At least two trees can be seen uprooted.

The cause of the plane crash is not yet known and will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Broadcast reports quoted the FAA as saying the pilot was the only occupant of the plane, which was flying from Lancaster to Camarillo.