A pilot was pulled from his crashed airplane just seconds before a train hit the wreckage, hair-raising footage shows. A Los Angeles police officer's body camera captured police officers rescuing the injured pilot with just moments to spare.
"Go, go, go," someone was heard screaming as cops dragged the pilot out of the airplane and away from the oncoming train. Moments later, the camera panned to show the train slamming into the crashed aircraft. According to NPR, the plane crash occurred on railway tracks that run parallel to the runway at Whiteman Airport in the Pacoima neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California.
The footage was shared on social media by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on Sunday, where it has since gone viral with millions of views. Watch it below:
(Disclaimer: Content in this video could be disturbing for viewers.)
The video has collected over 3.4 million views on Twitter, along with hundreds of comments praising the cops for their quick thinking and presence of mind.
Officer Damian Castro, who was involved in the rescue, told CNN that he did not really have the time to think during the rescue. "It happened so fast, we didn't really have that much time to think," he said. "All I could think was try to get this man to safety, didn't really want to look back to see how far the train was coming, you could hear it coming."
"It wasn't until I heard one of my coworkers behind me say, 'The train is coming and we need to get him out now,'" Officer Christopher Aboyte told CNN, adding that he was so focused on getting the pilot out that he never actually turned to see the train.
The incident occurred after the plane "lost power" and "crashed onto tracks", according to the LAPD Operations-Valley Bureau. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was rushed to the hospital and is now in stable condition.
