Two dead in Santa Paula homebuilt-plane crash

SANTA PAULA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two people died when an experimental aircraft crashed and burst into flames in an orchard in Santa Paula, officials said.

The crash was reported at 3:17 p.m. in the 1600 block of Aliso Canyon Road, just north of the city of Ventura. Fire officials said the plane was fully involved in flames when they arrived and two people were declared dead at the scene.

The FAA described the plane as a single-engine VariEze, a type of small homebuilt aircraft first designed by Burt Ratan in the 1970s. The agency said the plane caught fire after crashing with two people on board.

Another pilot in the area reported hearing the pilot of the experimental aircraft report engine failure and say he planned to try an emergency landing.