A small plane crashed into a residential area in San Diego, California, amid foggy conditions, igniting fires in approximately 15 homes and prompting evacuations across several blocks. The incident occurred early Thursday morning local time, according to authorities.
Dan Eddy, the Assistant Chief of the Fire Department, confirmed that multiple homes sustained direct impacts from the crash in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood. “Jet fuel is spread across the area,” he stated during a media briefing. The primary focus of emergency responders is to search the affected homes thoroughly and ensure the safety of residents in the vicinity.
Witnesses recounted being jolted awake by a loud explosion, followed by the sight of an orange glow in the sky. Eddy noted that visibility was severely limited due to dense fog at the time of the accident. “You could barely see in front of you,” he remarked. The Cessna 550 aircraft went down around 3:45 am local time, not far from the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The crash created a substantial debris field in the tightly packed neighbourhood, which is home to a significant number of military families. At this stage, it remains unclear how many individuals were aboard the aircraft, although it has the capacity for six to eight passengers. The FAA indicated that the National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the investigation into the incident.
This is not the first aviation accident in the area; in October 2021, a twin-engine plane crashed in a nearby suburb, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and a UPS driver on the ground, along with property damage from the fire that ensued.
As emergency crews continue to respond, residents are left to contend with the aftermath of this tragic event while officials work diligently to ensure safety and uncover the details surrounding the crash.