Long Beach Crash Seriously Injures Pedestrian; Pilot Hurt

Two separate small-plane incidents occurred in Southern California this week. In Huntington Beach around 9:30 p.m., a Cessna out of Santa Barbara experienced engine trouble and made an emergency landing on the sand between Lifeguard Towers 11 and 13 near Newland Street and Pacific Coast Highway; a Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter tracked the aircraft and both occupants were uninjured, and the FAA and NTSB were notified. In Long Beach, a reportedly home-built two-seat canard-type plane made an emergency crash landing on a soccer field at Heartwell Park near Carson Street and Clark Avenue and struck a pedestrian walking her dog. The pedestrian was identified by family as Tiffany Harrison, who is deaf and suffered serious injuries — including a deep leg gash requiring transfusions, a broken pelvis and multiple spinal fractures — and was slated for surgery; the pilot, described as a man in his 60s, was also injured and is recovering. Local fire crews responded to both scenes, and FAA and NTSB investigators are examining the Long Beach crash to determine its cause and whether procedures and regulations were followed.