Police in Los Angeles have been hailed as heroes after pulling a man from a crashed plane seconds before it was hit by an oncoming train.

Officers are seen struggling to free the bloodied pilot from the small aircraft, tugging at bits of wreckage and trying to make room for him to get free.

He comes loose in the nick of time.

Just five seconds after he is pulled from the plane, a train smashes into it and sends debris flying.

"Foothill Division Officers displayed heroism and quick action by saving the life of a pilot who made an emergency landing on the railroad tracks at San Fernando Road and Osborne Street, just before an oncoming train collided with the aircraft," the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The site of the crash is near an airport, which local media reported the plane had been taking off from.

Police confirmed the plane had lost power before going down, and that the pilot was the only person on board. 

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the man had been taken to a regional trauma centre, but did not provide information on his condition.