Plane crashes near Brackett Field Airport in La Verne; sole occupant killed

LA VERNE, Calif. (KABC) -- A small plane crashed near Brackett Field Airport in La Verne on Monday, and the sole occupant on board was killed, police said.

Firefighters from La Verne and Los Angeles County fire departments rushed to the 1600 block of W. McKinley Avenue following the initial report of the crash, which came in shortly before noon.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Beech Bonanza aircraft crashed while on approach to Brackett Field Airport.

Flames were visible and thick black smoke rose from the wreckage.

Initial reports state that the plane may have struck a tree, the FAA said. A witness, Francisco Juarez, told Eyewitness News he saw the plane as it crashed, and said the plane did not hit a tree.

The one person on board was pronounced dead at the scene, La Verne police said. The name of the pilot has not been released.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating.

Monday's crash was the second wreck in as many days. A plane also crashed near Brackett Field Airport on Sunday, killing one person and seriously injuring another.

The crash on Monday occurred about 100 yards away from Sunday's plane crash. Both planes ended up in a nursery near the west end of the airstrip.