SIMI VALLEY, CA (Headline News USA) (Copyright © 2025) –The Simi Valley neighborhood experienced a fatal small plane accident that caused two fatalities and one canine death.

The Wood Ranch section of Simi Valley experienced a peaceful afternoon turn into a tragic incident when a private aircraft struck a residential neighborhood on Saturday May 3, 2024. The aircraft exploded into a residential area killing two people along with a dog and causing damage to two houses that spared all ground-based residents.

A single-engine Van’s RV-10 which is a kit-built aircraft popular among amateur pilots crashed in Simi Valley shortly after departing from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster en route to Camarillo Airport according to the Los Angeles Times.

Chaos on High Meadow Street

The accident site was located in the 200 block of High Meadow Street where the neighborhood features a residential cul-de-sac in Wood Ranch. Multiple eyewitnesses witnessed the plane experience a sudden descent before hitting the yard of a house and starting a fire that spread to an adjacent residence.

Arman Hovakemian conducted his yard work until he watched the aircraft perform a fatal descent toward his house. “I saw it spinning. During the incident Hovakemian and his wife Armineh together with their dog Koko escaped unharmed after he warned his family members. The plane crashed into the backyard dining room of their house just after their escape.

Despite the violent crash, Hovakemian, his wife Armineh, and their Pomeranian, Koko, escaped unharmed. Their home, however, suffered significant damage, and the couple is now staying with family.

The fire damage affected the house of P.J. Van Kralingen along with his wife Iris as their residence received harm from the fire. At the time of the accident the couple was visiting the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The interview with ABC7 revealed that Van Kralingen expressed relief about their absence but sadness about the situation they encountered when they returned home.

Firefighters battled against flames as the NTSB initiated a complete investigation of the incident.

According to officials from the Simi Valley Fire Department approximately 40 firefighters arrived at the incident location. Firefighters successfully put out the flames before they spread across additional parts of the residential area. Two fatalities occurred among the aircraft occupants when the authorities reached the accident site. A dog onboard the plane was also killed.

A complete investigation of the accident is underway at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The investigators brought their equipment to Simi Valley on Sunday to collect evidence about plane maintenance reports along with air communication logs and weather records and pilot documentation.

NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson stated in his AP News statement that “The investigation will take time.” The investigation of this homebuilt aircraft presents unique variables because of its nature. The investigation will analyze the aircraft construction process in addition to maintenance procedures and the flight experience of the pilots.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office awaits official identification of the victims because they must notify their next of kin before releasing their names.

The same model aircraft has been involved in another fatal accident since the recent Simi Valley crash.

A Van’s RV-10 aircraft suffered a fatal accident in Fullerton California when it struck a warehouse thus killing both occupants in January. A plane accident resulted in the deaths of the pilot and his teenage daughter when it crashed in Fullerton California. Nineteen people inside the building were injured. Preliminary findings indicated the plane’s door may have been unsecured during flight.

The NTSB has yet to link the incidents but the second occurrence of the Van’s RV-10 model raises doubts about safety and construction standards for kit-built aircraft.

Community Shaken but Resilient

The investigation of debris along with neighbor assessments continues as the Simi Valley community expresses shock while being grateful for the lack of additional fatalities from the crash.

Hovakemian stated that the experience has left him and his family shaken yet they are alive. It’s surreal. You pull weeds in one moment but then your house starts burning after a plane crashes onto your property.

The emergency crews received commendations from local authorities while the Red Cross provided assistance to displaced families.

Image Credit: “G-TOPP – Van’s RV-10 Turweston 200621” by kitmasterbloke is licensed under CC BY 2.0.