Pilot killed as small plane crashes into homes in California

A pilot died after the small plane he was flying crashed into homes in California on Saturday.

The crash took place on Saturday afternoon in the Wood Ranch neighborhood of Simi Valley, 42 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The Ventura County Fire Department says that the single-engine plane struck two homes before ending up in the yard of one of the homes.

The crash sparked a fire and the residents of the two homes evacuated with no injuries before 40 firefighters called to the scene put it out.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that the pilot was the only person on board Van's RV-10 aircraft. It is a four-seat plane that is assembled by buyers from a kit.

Officials say that the plane took off from a small airport in Lancaster, California, and was on its way to Camarilla Airport, around 20 miles west of Simi Valley.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation into the cause of the crash, the FAA said.