One person dies as small plane crashes into California neighbourhood

Firefighters work at the site of the plane crash (Mark J Terrill/AP)

A small plane has crashed into a neighbourhood in Simi Valley, California, killing a person on board the aircraft and damaging two homes, authorities said.

Fire crews responded, and police cordoned off the streets, warning people to stay clear of the area.

Smoke could be seen billowing from the roof of one home in the Wood Ranch section of the community, which lies nearly 50 miles north-west of Los Angeles.

Wreckage could be seen between the two homes.

The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that residents were inside at the time but said they evacuated with no reported injuries. Both homes sustained structural damage and were impacted by the fire, authorities said.

The plane crashed in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday (Mark J Terrill/AP)

About 40 firefighters attended the scene.

Authorities did not release any information about the pilot of the single-engine Van’s RV-10, which is a popular home-built plane sold in kit form. They also did not say what might have caused the crash.

An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was also at the scene on Saturday.

NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said once the wreckage of the plane is documented, it will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.

Investigators will comb through the plane’s maintenance records, weather forecasts, recordings of any air traffic control communications, witness statements, the pilot’s background and any surveillance video that might have captured the aircraft.

In January another Van’s RV-10 crashed into a warehouse in Fullerton, which is south-east of Los Angeles, while trying to make an emergency landing, killing the pilot and his teenage daughter and injuring 19 people in the building.

A preliminary report issued by the NTSB said that plane appeared to have had a door ajar during the flight.