Pilot dies when plane strikes FedEx truck in San Luis Obispo
A pilot died Monday afternoon when a small airplane crashed near the Promega Biosciences building on Granada Drive in San Luis Obispo, hitting both the building and a FedEx truck, officials said.
The pilot, who had been in communication with the regional airport tower, said he was experiencing some difficulties upon taking off, said Richard Howell, the airport manager at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, where the plane departed.
The plane, a twin-engine Cessna P337H, struck a FedEx truck and crashed into the back wall of the Promega Biosciences building, authorities said.
The driver of the FedEx truck did not suffer injuries, nor did employees at Promega Biosiences, said Chris Staley, a public information officer for the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
The front of the truck and the plane caught fire, as did a nearby tree, Staley said, and nearby electrical wires were also hit but not broken.
No information was immediately available on the planned flight, Howell said.
Preliminary information indicated that the accident site is about one and a half miles northwest of the airport and occurred around 1 p.m., said Ian Gregor, spokesman for the FAA Pacific Division.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the accident, Gregor said.
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Twitter: @emfoxhall
emily.foxhall@latimes.com
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