Video: Crashed plane hit by speeding train in Los Angeles

A pilot in the United States is lucky to be alive after being pulled from the wreckage of his crashed plane, moments before it was hit by a freight train.

Video posted online by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) shows the exact moment the man is pulled from the cockpit of his Cessna 172 which crashed in the San Fernando Valley just after 2pm (local time).

Just seconds after the pilot is freed by LAPD officers, the aircraft is totally destroyed by the MetroLink train.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the aircraft had just taken off from Whiteman Airport.

The man sustained head injuries and was taken to hospital in a serious condition. No one on the ground or on the train were injured

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.