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U.S. NEWS Saturday 1 July 2017

Plane crashes in flames on California freeway, 2 injured

By MICHAEL BALSAMO the airport.”
Associated Press The exchange was cap-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The tured on a recording of air
pilot of a small twin-engine traffic controller commu-
plane that dropped out of nications, posted on the
the sky and exploded in website LiveATC.net.
flames on a busy freeway After an air traffic control-
near a Southern Califor- ler tells the pilot a gear of
nia airport Friday morning, the plane appears to be
injuring the two people up, the pilot says he’s trying
aboard, declared a may- to gain altitude. “I lost my
day and told air traffic con- right engine,” he said.
trollers he had lost an en- The two people who were
gine before the crash. aboard the plane, a man
The Cessna 310 aircraft and a woman in their 50s
crashed on Interstate 405, and 60, were alive when
just short of a runway at they were pulled from the
John Wayne Airport in Cos- fiery wreckage and were
ta Mesa around 9:30 a.m., taken to a hospital with
said Ian Gregor, a spokes- traumatic injuries, Orange
man for the Federal Avia- County Fire Capt. Larry
tion Administration. The Kurtz said.
pilot declared an emer- The plane clipped a blue Emergency responders gather round the crash of a Cessna 310 aircraft on Interstate 405, just short
of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Two people were
gency shortly after taking pickup truck as it crashed injured in the small plane crash.
off from the airport and on the freeway, but the (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
was trying to return when driver suffered only a
the crash occurred, Gregor bruised elbow, Kurtz said. engulfed in flames and tinguish the blaze. An off-duty fire captain,
said. “The fact that a plane was plumes of black smoke bil- “The plane collided, spun John Meffert, said he saw
“Hey, we got a mayday!” able to land and only strike lowing into the sky. Traffic across the freeway and the plane flying low before
the pilot told air traffic con- a single vehicle is extraordi- was backed up for miles on burst into flames,” Kurtz it came crashing down
trollers before the crash. nary,” he said. the major route between said. The wreckage saw on the freeway and was
“Mayday, mayday ... I’m Video posted on social Los Angeles and San Diego strewn across several lanes immediately engulfed in
trying to make it back to media showed the plane as fire crews worked to ex- of the freeway, he said. flames. Meffert.q

Utah wildfire evacuees return, ready for quieter July 4th

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST but left other parts of the more than a dozen others area about 100 miles (160 fire that killed 19 elite fire-
Associated Press mountainous area green caught in the fire’s path kilometers) north of Phoe- fighters near the Arizona
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Hun- and untouched. as it radiated out from Bri- nix. town of Yarnell, about 45
dreds of people forced “The damage just takes an Head were destroyed. Authorities were also ex- miles (72 kilometers) south-
from their southern Utah your breath away,” said Ju- Started June 17 by some- pected to lift more evacu- west of the current blaze.
homes near the coun- lie Saemisch, one burning weeds, the fire ations after that blaze In New Mexico, a light-
try’s largest active wildfire who was at her grand- is now about 20 percent forced thousands from ning-sparked fire co grew
headed home Friday and daughter’s fifth grade contained and is one of their homes, campgrounds to nearly 11 square miles
prepared for a subdued graduation when she was several fires burning in west- and summer camps ahead (28 square kilometers) on
Fourth of July celebration told she could not return ern U.S. states. of the long Fourth of July Friday and threatened at
after nearly two weeks of to her home in the ski re- In Arizona, crews on Friday holiday weekend, though least one railroad bridge.
fear and uncertainty. sort town of Brian Head reopened a major route some people could be pro- The fire is burning grass
The fire cut a wide swathe and was evacuated to a through the small town of hibited from returning for a and brush on private land
of destruction, blackening campground a few miles Mayer that barely escaped few more days. south of Albuquerque and
more than 92 square miles (kilometers) away. destruction when a mas- Friday also marks the four- was about 40 percent
(238 square kilometers), Her home was saved, but sive wildfire threatened the year anniversary of a wild- contained.q