Two people were hospitalized Friday morning after a small plane went down on the 405 Freeway in Orange County, narrowly missing cars and skidding to a stop against a median as it burst into flames.
The crash occurred at the MacArthur Boulevard exit ramp near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. Two people were on the plane, which caught fire and produced a tower of smoke that could be seen for miles around by drivers and workers in nearby office buildings.
The plane went down around 9:30 a.m. just short of the runway, which is adjacent to the freeway, at John Wayne Airport, said Deanne Thompson, public information officer for the airport. Thompson did not have details about whether there were mechanical problems with the plane.
Witnesses said the plane appeared to crash on the northbound side of the freeway and ended up on the southbound side. The plane did not appear to strike any vehicles on the busy freeway.
"There was debris all over the freeway," said witness Christian Romo. "It was insane. It was really scary. We were just praying instantly that they're ok and that their families are ok."
Romo said the plane tilted to its side and almost turned upside-down as it crashed into the freeway median. Several drivers stopped to help the plane's two occupants before firefighters arrived to douse the flames and treat the injured.
Aerial video showed a line of cars stopped on the shoulder of the freeway.
"It seems like they managed to pull people out," Romo said.
The plane appears to be a Cessna 310, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Airport departures were not affected, but the airport was closed to arrivals until about 10:30 a.m., according to airport officials.
The freeway was closed after the crash.
Photo Credit: Terry Luh
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