On Sunday, police in Los Angeles, California, extracted the pilot from a crash-landed Cessna seconds before the plane was slammed by a train, sending debris flying everywhere.
According to local media, the plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the Pacoima district, and a dramatic video acquired by reporters shows multiple officers extracting the man from the fallen jet. When a passing train wrecks the plane, the police, and pilot were only a few feet from the rails.
“The plane had a poor takeoff and landed on the train tracks at a busy crossing,” said Luis Jimenez, the video’s 21-year-old composer. “Police officers saved the pilot only seconds before contact, and a piece of debris almost hit me.”
According to local media, the pilot was treated for scratches and bruises and is in stable condition. According to local media, no one was hurt on the train.
Bodycam footage of officers removing the bleeding pilot off the plane was uploaded on Twitter by the Los Angeles Police Department.
In a tweet, the department praised its officers, saying they “demonstrated gallantry and swift action by saving the life of a pilot who made an emergency landing on railroad tracks.”
