A Pilot Was Saved Moments Before Certain Death After Crashing on Train Tracks

A pilot was rescued by police officers and bystanders from a plane that ended up on a railway track near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, California. Moments later, an oncoming Metrolink train obliterated the aircraft, which was captured by many bystanders and shared on social media. The most dramatic footage, however, came from the bodycam of a police personnel, which the Los Angeles Police Department, shared on Twitter. 

Foothill Division Officers displayed heroism and quick action by saving the life of a pilot who made an emergency landing on the railroad tracks at San Fernando Rd. and Osborne St., just before an oncoming train collided with the aircraft. pic.twitter.com/DDxtGGIIMo

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 10, 2022

Surveillance using video cameras whether through closed circuit television or through those on the body and car dashboards of police have received their fair share of criticism. Apart from the issue that somebody somewhere is always watching you, it can also lead to capturing and later sharing of images, especially in promotional content. 

While the merits and demerits of surveillance can barely be discussed in a detailed opinion piece or even a book perhaps, at times it does lead to passively capturing footage that one would actively never do. In this instance, even though bystanders were actively taking videos of the rescue, a police officer could barely capture the moment among his priorities. 

Although details of the incident are still scarce, some were shared by The Drive. According to its report, a Cessna 172, registered N8056L lost power shortly after 2 PM local time and the unlucky pilot either crash-landed or could only manage to reach the railtrack near the airport. 

Police personnel who managed to reach the scene managed to pull the pilot who was visibly hurt, out and the body cam captured the moments leading up to the rescue and even later. The Drive reported that the pilot was rushed to the hospital and details of his condition remain unknown. The condition of the aircraft, however, is out there for everyone to see. 

Train crashes into plane at Whiteman Airport Van Nuys, CA #ABC7Eyewitness #breakingnews @FOXLA @ABC7 @KTLA pic.twitter.com/D1eEtvaajF

— Luis Jimenez (@ComposerLuis) January 9, 2022

A Twitter user, however, wasn't impressed and wondered why the police did not choose to push the plane along with the pilot out of the way, thereby saving the Cessna too in the process.