Small plane crash kills pilot on Interstate 40

This story was updated Tuesday afternoon with additional details.

NEEDLES — The pilot of a small airplane died after crashing on Interstate 40 near Needles Tuesday morning.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane, a home-built Titan Tornado, landed in the westbound lanes of the interstate about 10 miles west of Needles. According to a California Highway Patrol report, the pilot was flying low over U.S. Route 95 at about 8:05 a.m. when he turned east and descended over I-40.

Witnesses told officials that the plane attempted to take off again after landing on the interstate, Gregor said. It rose about three feet off the ground before colliding with an oncoming Ford Fusion with three people inside.

The pilot, a 68-year-old man from Bullhead City, Ariz., was killed on impact and then thrown from the plane, said CHP Officer Alex Diaz. There was no passenger in the plane. The occupants of the Ford, all from Riverside, suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention, Diaz said.

The pilot’s name was not released, pending family notification.

There is an airport in Needles, but officials had no information on the plane’s origin or destination or what caused it to land on the interstate. Diaz described the plane as a lightweight two-seater with a rear-mounted engine, made primarily of fiberglass.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, Gregor said.

Both westbound lanes of I-40 were closed until almost 2 p.m., with traffic diverted around the scene via U.S. Route 95., according to the CHP dispatch center in Barstow.

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