After departing from Santa Monica Airport, the pilot of the single-engine Cessna 210 declared an emergency for unknown reasons around 6:10 p.m., according to a Federal Aviation Administration Western-Pacific Region official. The plane was heading back to the airport when it crashed 3 miles away in the 2100 block of Glendon Avenue.
Los Angeles City Fire officials said one person on board the aircraft was killed. It was not immediately known how many people were on the plane.
No ground injuries were reported. The residence was not damaged, nor were any other structures. A tall tree could be seen with its canopy burned.
The plane is reportedly registered to a Santa Monica resident. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident.
KABC-TV Los Angeles, CA contributed to this report.