Plane Takes Off From SMO, Goes Down in Landfill

A plane took off from on Thursday and subsequently made an emergency landing in a Calabasas landfill, according to Captain Mike Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries, and the plane was damaged in the incident.

The pilot was a 27-year-old male flight instructor from Irvine, and the passenger was a 20-year-old man from Westwood. They were on a training flight and intended to return to SMO, Parker said.

Air traffic control at Van Nuys Airport informed the Los Angeles Police Department at 6:18 p.m. that the plane, a 2001 Piper Cherokee, was getting ready to make an emergency landing. The LAPD contacted sheriff's deputies, who located the men and the plane at 6:50 p.m. near a trail at the landfill.

Engine failure is suspected to be the cause of the incident.

Sheriff’s Aero Bureau pilots are currently investigating the incident, as will the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.