A small plane flown by what authorities called an elderly male pilot made an emergency landing at a park in Long Beach Tuesday, striking a female pedestrian who sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Long Beach Fire Department paramedics were dispatched around 4 p.m. to Heartwell Park regarding a down aircraft, LBFD Fire Capt. Jack Crabtree told City News Service.
Fire crews discovered that the small aircraft had landed on its belly due to disabled landing gear, noting that the fuselage remained intact.
“When the plane landed, it collided with a pedestrian in the park,” Crabtree said.
He added that fire crews assisted with removing the pilot from the aircraft and took him to a hospital for treatment, where he was listed in stable condition. The extent of his injuries was not disclosed.
The pedestrian was also taken to a hospital, where she was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and was also listed in stable condition, but the extent of her injuries remains unknown.
The Long Beach Police Department assisted with securing the scene as fire officials conducted rescue operations.
The emergency landing remained under investigation as of Tuesday evening.