5 Safe After Plane Makes Belly Landing

Five passengers on a twin-engine plane escaped without serious injury Wednesday when their aircraft lost power and was forced to land in an open field in Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.

The Cessna 421 Golden Eagle II took off about 9 a.m. from Gen. William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and immediately began to lose power in both engines, deputies said. The crew of a U.S. Air Force medical rescue helicopter that had just taken off from the airport saw the plane was having problems and followed, deputies said.

The plane, piloted by Adam W. Berg, 67, of Panorama City, was headed west and flew about three miles from Fox Airfield when both engines shut down. The plane landed in a vacant field at 70th Street West and Avenue G, deputies said.

Deputy Ronald Thomason said the plane’s landing gear was up when it landed and the aircraft skidded about 300 feet on its belly before coming to a stop. The passengers did not need any medical help from the crew of the helicopter, which also landed in the field. Berg suffered a slight injury to his leg, Thomason said.

The propellers, engines and underside of the plane were damaged, and authorities said it would have to be removed from the site by truck.