2 Killed In Fiery Plane Crashes At Van Nuys Airport

LOS ANGELES CA — Two MENwere killed when a small plane crashed at Van Nuys Airport Wednesday morning and was quickly engulfed in flames, sending a plume of black smoke into the air.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m. Firefighters quickly doused the fire.

"One small single-engine aircraft crashed at Van Nuys Airport and burst into flames," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. "Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames, but, sadly, both occupants on board were found to be deceased."

Information was not immediately available on the identities of the two men who died.

Authorities didn't immediately identify a cause of the crash. In a news briefing at the airport Wednesday afternoon, LAFD Captain Erik Scott said the plane hit the ground "nose first" in a "very high impact" crash.

Airport Police Captain Karla Rodriguez told reporters that an airport police officer witnessed the crash from a short distance away.

Runway 16-R was closed for about 30 minutes, but Runway 16-L remained open, Rodriguez said, adding that there were no major impacts to airport operations.

"A single-engine CSA SportCruiser crashed at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles around 10:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, August 2," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

"Two people were on board," the FAA said. "The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates."

City News Service contributed to this report.