LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — The Heartland Fire & Rescue Department responded to a small plane crash nearby a church in La Mesa Sunday afternoon.
According to the department, firefighters responded to an aircraft crash at 3:06 p.m. in the area of Lake Murray Community Church, located at 5777 Lake Murray Blvd.
The airplane crashed in the parking lot behind the church, went through the chain link fence and went down a hill.
A press release from the fire department says the two people in the plane were both men in their 50s. One of the men was able to walk up the hill, with help from first responders, to the ambulance. The second man had to be rescued using a stretcher and a rope and pulley system.
The two were taken to Sharp Grossmont Hospital with moderate injuries. No other injuries were reported in this incident.
A captain for Heartland Fire said the pilot did a good job finding a spot to try to land, since the crash could have been much worse. Nearby the church there are several apartment complexes and houses.
One person ABC 10News spoke to said from their apartment, the crash sounded like a truck running into something. The power in the area went out temporarily, since the plane knocked over some power lines.
According to a statement by the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft that crashed was a single-engine Cessna 185. The flight had left from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, per the FAA.
"The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates," the statement read.
Heartland Fire & Rescue says the total response time for the crash was about 40 minutes. American Medical Response, San Diego Fire and the La Mesa Police Department assisted Heartland Fire on the scene.
