Plane bursts into flames after crashing on 405 freeway in Irvine
A twin-engine Cessna 310 airplane with two people aboard crashed and burst into flames on the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Irvine area Friday.
According to Flight Aware, the pilot of the plane was flying to Thermal on Thursday.
It happened about 9:35 a.m. north of MacArthur Boulevard, about 1,000 feet from a John Wayne Airport runway, authorities said. The inbound plane — with the tail number N87297 — crashed on the southbound lanes of the freeway short of Runway 20R, according to Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.
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The freeway was closed by the crash in both directions, creating a southbound backup of up to five miles as authorities worked to divert traffic on other routes. The northern lanes have been partially cleared, according to broadcast reports.
Two people in the aircraft — a man and a woman said to be in their 50s and 60s — were being treated for major injuries, authorities said.
Local television coverage included audio released of the man piloting the plane, shouting “May Day” and “I can’t make it back to the airport” seconds before the crash.
In the aftermath of the crash, the airfield was closed to arrivals, but arrivals were resumed about 45 minutes afterward.
The plane hit with its nose down and clipped a vehicle, the driver of which suffered only a bruised elbow, according to broadcast reports.
A preliminary report indicated the aircraft crashed on the northbound side of the freeway and ended up on the southbound side and that two people were removed from the wreckage.
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