Highway Patrol Ofc. Ricardo Ayala is being hailed as a hero after he saved a man from a fiery airplane crash in Santa Barbara County near Goleta.
A California Highway Patrol officer from Santa Barbara County is being hailed as a true hero after he rescued the pilot of a small airplane that had crashed in the foothills alongside Highway 101.
According to the CHP’s Top-5 News Stories from Feb. 4, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, CHP Ofc. Ricardo Ayala had made a routine traffic stop on Los Caneros Road, just north of Hwy 101 near Goleta and was wrapping up that incident, when “a sudden, explosion rocked the air,” reads a Facebook post from the CHP in Santa Barbara. “Startled, he looked up to see an aircraft’s ballistic recovery system deployed. He observed the plane’s deployed parachute. A small aircraft had crashed in an empty field just beyond the road.”
Photo taken by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department shows the Jan. 29 fiery crash of a small plane near Hwy 101 outside Goleta.
Ofc. Ayala did not hesitate. He let the driver go without a ticket, jumped into his cruiser and raced to the scene. “As he approached the crash site,” the post said, “he saw the crashed plane engulfed in flames. Realizing time was critical, he pulled over onto the right shoulder, jumped a chain-link freeway perimeter fence, and sprinted toward the burning aircraft.”
Ofc. Ayala notified emergency dispatch, which alerted the fire department and triggered emergency responses. The smell of fuel filled the air, and the fire started to grow.
“He spotted movement and observed the severely injured pilot crawling out of the aircraft,” the post reads. “The fire was spreading rapidly and threatening to consume the wreckage entirely.”
Officer Ayala “grabbed the pilot’s arms and pulled with all his strength, dragging the injured pilot away from the growing flames.”
A witness caught the daring rescue on video, showing Ofc. Ayala saving the man as a column of black smoke billows high into the air, and the plane’s wreckage burns wildly out of control.
The crash ignited a small grass fire that spread in all directions, but the fire department was able to quickly extinguish the fire.
There was one passenger on the plane, according to the CHP, but she was able to escape the crash on her own. It was just in the nick of time.
“Just as they stumbled a few yards to safety, an explosion erupted behind them. The plane was now fully engulfed in flames.”
A couple of bystanders also rushed in to help Ofc. Ayala. “Ofc. Ayala directed one civilian to help the woman (passenger) to safety, while the other civilian remained on scene for emergency services.” Both the pilot and the passenger were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for medical treatment. They were both critically injured in the crash.
The officer is being hailed as a hero by both his department and the commenters on the Facebook Post.
“Thanks to Ofc. Ayala’s quick thinking and bravery,” the CHP post said, “a tragedy was averted. His heroic actions were a testament to his unwavering dedication to public safety service and to those who risk their lives to save others.
“A special thank you to the civilians who assisted with the plane’s passenger.”
Among the comments were: “I honestly believe you will be on the 2025 Medal of Valor recipient list this year. Awesome job! Making us all proud! Retired 11376;” “Excellent job officer. This proves that not all heroes wear capes — they wear a badge;” and, “God Bless you, thank you for doing a great job.”
