Two Cessna 172s collided in midair around 2 p.m. on Monday, April 29th. One of the planes crashed into the mountains in Calabasas, killing the pilot and sole occupant. The other plane miraculously landed softly on the Westlake Golf Course, with all occupants experiencing only minor injuries.
Firefighters were responding to a small wildfire when they came upon the wreckage of the downed aircraft in the mountains. After extinguishing the fire, they found the body of the victim and no other survivors. The other plane went down, hit a tree, spun around and proceeded to land softly in the middle of a fairway. The three occupants of the plane were able to walk away from the crash. Golfers on the course were as few as 50 feet away when the plane landed.
The cause of the plane crash is currently under investigation. The plane that landed on the golf course was flying west at an altitude of 3,500 feet. The plane that crashed had just left Santa Monica Airport for a test flight. FAA authorities said preliminary reviews of radar reports showing the two planes’ flight-paths crossing just after 2 p.m.
