An amateur pilot is confirmed dead after crashing shortly after takeoff in California on Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement to Fox News that the plane went down just after taking off at 12:40 p.m. near the Corona Municipal Airport.
The Corona Fire Department quickly responded to the crash and confirmed that the pilot was killed in the crash but that there were no other fatalities.
The Fire Department also put out a vegetation fire that started as a result of the crash.
A statement from the FAA explained that "A general aviation aircraft crashed shortly after departure from Corona Municipal Airport in California. Only the pilot was on board. The type of aircraft is unknown at this time."
There has been a concerning rise in aviation accidents and the FAA has had their hands full trying to address the rising problem of plane crashes and near accidents.
While the identity of the pilot has yet to be revealed, the FAA has found that the plane that crashed was "an experimental homebuilt" aircraft which likely is the source of the crash.
However, we won't know for sure until the investigation is complete.
While this incident is seemingly innocuous, far more serious incidents have been raising concerns about aviation safety.
A report from the New York Times found that close calls are happening at an increasing rate and it is only a matter of time before a serious accident that kills hundreds happens.
The FAA reported that near-miss incidents have risen by 25% in the last decade and the issue is becoming so concerning that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told USA Today that he is looking into the trend and that he is "concerned."
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy stated at a "Safety Summit" put on by the FAA that, "These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us, before something more catastrophic occurs. Before lives are lost."
This year alone there have been multiple incidents of air traffic control failures that have led to passenger jets avoiding disaster on double booked runways. In fact, there have been a shocking number of aborted landings due to runways already being used by aircraft taking off.
While the crash in Corona, California only took one life, massive passenger jets carry hundreds and something needs to be done quickly about this terrifying trend.
