2 Severely Burned as Plane Crashes in Long Beach
A single-engine plane crashed and burned shortly after takeoff Sunday at Long Beach Municipal Airport, seriously injuring its two occupants.
The victims, first taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital, were Angelo Calderone, 65, of Los Alamitos, and his friend, Delores Hartley, 44, of Costa Mesa, fire officials said.
Hartley suffered second- and third-degree burns over 90% of her body.
Long Beach Fire Department information officer Bob Caldon said Hartley was rushed by helicopter from the crash to the Long Beach hospital and later moved to the burn ward at UC Irvine Medical Center, also by helicopter.
Calderone, believed to be the pilot, suffered second- and third-degree burns over 60% of his body. He was taken to the Long Beach hospital by ambulance, and was expected to be transported to another hospital with a burn ward. Long Beach Memorial has no burn treatment facility.
Caldon said the Piper Tomahawk PA-38 aircraft had lifted off about 1:30 p.m., apparently hit a gust of wind and stalled, then crashed on a grassy area beside the runway. The cause of the crash was not immediately determined.
Seven units and 25 firefighters rushed from their airport station about a quarter of a mile from the crash site, Caldon said, spreading foam to extinguish the flames. A hydraulic Jaws of Life device was used, he said, to extricate the two victims.
The plane’s destination was unknown.
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