A vintage airplane sporting a Nazi-era paint job has crashed into the divide of 101 freeway in Agoura Hills, California and caught fire. The pilot was taken from the burning wreckage, reportedly uninjured.
Fire engines were called to the site of the crash north of Liberty Canyon Road around 2 p.m. The plane – which appears to be an AT-6 Texan, repainted with Nazi-era German cross insignia on the wings – plunged from the air into the middle of the freeway.
Initial reports suggested it was a German-made Focke-Wulf Fw 190, which bears a resemblance to the US-made Texan.
One of the wings landed upon the concrete road barrier, with the heavy impact apparently causing the aircraft's fuel tank to rupture and burst into flames.
Video courtesy: @TheSCyrus
It's unclear what made the pilot to attempt a risky hard landing, which miraculously left him uninjured. Nobody else appears to have been caught up in the crash.
Videos show fire crews trying to put down the raging fire that spread to the plane's fuselage.
Another dramatic video, filmed from a passing car before both of the freeway's lanes were shut down, shows black thick smoke billowing from the wreckage.
The incident has resulted in many cars being stuck in massive traffic jams on both sides of the freeway, which remained closed while police and fire crews were at the scene. Traffic was being diverted north and south off the 101, with the authorities urging people to stay away of the area.
It was reported that the plane was from the Condor Squadron vintage club stationed at The Van Nuys airport.
The plane’s signature Luftwaffe camouflage spawned a plethora of WWII-themed jokes.
Some suggested it was karma that brought down the plane.
Others linked the crash to modern day US politics.