A Griffon Aerospace Lionheart belonging to Charles Ealand flipped over while landing at the Santa Maria Airport on Sept 5.
Three Santa Maria Fire Department engines responded to the crash along with an urban search and rescue vehicle, an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle, and a battalion chief, said a press release from the fire department. The plane’s occupants suffered some injuries, and fuel from the plane leaked onto the runway.
Firefighters had to set up a perimeter to cordon off the fuel leak because of its flammability.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Lionheart is an amateur-built plane. The Griffon Aerospace website advertises it as a sort of hobbyist vehicle: “Developed for flying enthusiasts as a ‘kit’ aircraft and designed to make the building process pleasant, fun, and memorable, the Lionheart is an elegant and spirited, 220-plus mph, six place, long-distance cruiser.”
No further information was available when the Sun went to press on Sept. 9.
This article appears in Sep 11-18, 2014.