A California Highway Patrol officer in Santa Barbara County is being hailed a hero after he rushed to the flaming wreckage of a plane crash and dragged the pilot to safety just seconds before an explosion.
It happened around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday in Goleta, about nine miles west of Santa Barbara.
Video shared by the CHP Thursday showed Officer Ayala dragging the pilot of the downed plane from the fiery crash site near the intersection of Los Carneros and Storke roads.
CHP officials said Ayala was conducting a routine traffic stop in the area when he saw the plane’s parachute deployed in an empty field beyond the road.
He left the traffic stop and rushed to the crash site, jumping a chain-link fence on the freeway and sprinting toward the burning aircraft.
Ayala said he could smell fuel in the air and he rushed to where the severely injured pilot was trying to crawl from the wreckage.
“He grabbed the pilot’s arms and pulled with all his strength, dragging the injured pilot away from the growing flames,” CHP officials wrote on social media. “Just as they stumbled a few yards to safety, an explosion erupted behind them.”
The plane became fully engulfed in flames, sparking a brush fire that burned one-half acre.
Ayala then ordered several bystanders to help the passenger, who was able to safely remove herself from the plane before it was overtaken by flames.
Both the pilot, a 29-year-old man, and his passenger, a 33-year-old woman, were taken to a local hospital for treatment of major injuries.
“Thanks to Officer Ayala’s quick thinking and bravery, a tragedy was averted,” CHP officials said. “His heroic actions were a testament to his unwavering dedication to public safety service and to those who risk their lives to save others.”
The driver who was pulled over and whose traffic stop Ayala abandoned was let off with a warning.
The crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
