Pilot killed when small plane crashes, erupts in flames near 14 Freeway in Santa Clarita

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A small plane crashed and erupted in flames Saturday morning near the 14 Freeway in Santa Clarita, killing the only person onboard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

The single-engine aircraft went down shortly after 10 a.m. at the Newhall Avenue exit in Newhall. Flames ignited after the plane struck a tree, according to a California Highway Patrol log.

Witnesses' video from the scene showed a large plume of black smoke rising above the mangled wreckage in a grassy area near the off-ramp.

The cause of the crash and the identity of the pilot, who was pronounced dead at the scene, were not immediately known.

The northbound 14 was closed as a result of the incident.

COURTESY ARTICLE ABC7 LOS ANGELES