Pilot dead, houses damaged as small plane crashes in California

Residents in two homes were safely evacuated after a small plane crashed in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday. (AP photo)

A small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday afternoon, killing a person aboard the aircraft and damaging two homes, authorities said.

Fire crews responded to the scene, and police officers cordoned off the streets, warning people to stay clear of the area. Smoke could be seen billowing from the roof of one home in the Wood Ranch section of Simi Valley, a community nearly 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

#meadowincident; VCFD is on scene of a small, single engine fixed-wing aircraft that crashed into two structures in the 200 block of High Meadow Street in the Wood Ranch area of Simi valley. The structures are both two-story, single-family homes that were impacted by fire and pic.twitter.com/W4L18G1dbj
VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) May 3, 2025

Wreckage could be seen between the two homes. The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that residents were inside both homes at the time but evacuated and reported no injuries. Both homes sustained structural damage and were impacted by the fire, authorities said.

About 40 firefighters were on scene. With the flames out, they began working on overhaul and salvage operations.

Authorities did not release any information about the pilot of the single-engine, fixed-wing plane, nor did they say what might have caused the plane to crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating.