A pilot in California who crash-landed on railway tracks has been pulled free from the aircraft seconds before it was destroyed by a speeding train, dramatic footage from the rescue shows.
Los Angeles police released bodycam video of the incident that occurred at around 2pm on Sunday, where several officers can be seen racing to free the pilot from the crashed plane.
They seem to struggle before the man, whose face is bloodied, is released from the crashed Cessna and they all run clear, as officers shout “Go go go!”
Exactly five seconds later, the fast-moving Metrolink train tears into the crashed plane’s remains, blasting debris in all directions.
Another video of the incident was shot by Luis Jimenez, a 21-year-old music composer who was at the scene at the time.
“The plane had a failed takeoff and landed on the train tracks at a popular intersection,” he told Reuters. “Just seconds before impact police officers saved the pilot, and a piece of debris almost hit me.”
The extraordinary incident took place in the Pacoima neighbourhood of Los Angeles on Sunday. The pilot was treated for cuts and bruises and is in a stable condition, according to local media. No one on the train was injured, local media reported.
The Los Angeles Police Department applauded its officers, saying in the tweet they had “displayed heroism and quick action by saving the life of a pilot who made an emergency landing on the railroad tracks”.
According to the LAPD officials, the plane crash-landed just blocks away from the police department’s Foothill station on Osborne street near the Whiteman Airport.
The plane had lost power and crashed onto the tracks in a residential area.
Mangled remains of the plane remained on the train tracks near the Metrolink Antelope Valley and all train movement was restricted in the area, officials from the LAPD said.
The authorities also shut down multiple lanes of San Fernando Road and Osborne street as the crash was being investigated, followed by cleanup operations, the report added.
An investigation has been ordered into the incident.
Social media users lauded the police efforts for saving the pilot’s life. “As a railroad engineer I can’t be more proud of these officers,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Hitting an occupied vehicle or an individual on the tracks stays with you forever. Knowing the occupant was clear of the tracks when the train hit the plane will let the engineer sleep easier.”
