Plane Loses Power, Crashes into Homes

A flight instructor and two students were injured after their twin engine plane took off from Van Nuys Airport and struck three homes in Upland, authorities said today.

The Piper Seneca was flying from Van Nuys Airport to Cable Airport when it ran into trouble.

“As they were on their approach to the airport, the pilot reported engine problems,” said Ian Gregor, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. “The plane came up short of the runway and hit two houses and landed on the roof of a third house.”

Eli Tousson, the flight instructor on board, and the two unidentified occupants, reportedly suffered minor to moderate injuries. No one on the ground was injured.

Tousson works for Arrow Club, a sub-tenant of Century Arrow Club, which operates an aircraft maintenance, instruction and storage business out of Van Nuys Airport, said Diana Sanchez, a Van Nuys Airport spokeswoman.

The airplane was manufactured in 1972 and is registered to the Roxy Corp., Sanchez said. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.

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