A small private plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood early Thursday, likely claiming the lives of all six passengers on board and leaving eight people on the ground injured. The impact sparked fires and sent waves of panic through the local community.
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According to local outlet FOX 5/KUSI, the San Diego Police Department reported that the incident happened just before 4 a.m. near Sculpin Street and Santo Road in the Murphy Canyon community.
A Cessna 550 crashed while heading to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, hitting multiple homes and vehicles. At least 15 homes were affected, many belonging to military families.
Harrowing surveillance footage shows the moment the private plane crashed.
Emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene, confronting roaring flames intensified by spilled jet fuel and fallen power lines.
“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy explained in a press conference, per FOX 5. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now.”
100 Residents Evacuated After Small Plane Crash
Approximately 100 residents from the affected area were swiftly evacuated for their safety. To support those displaced, a temporary evacuation center has been set up at Miller Elementary School, located at 4343 Shields St.
Initially, police reported no injuries on the ground, but later updated the public just after 11 a.m., confirming that at least five people had been hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Additionally, three others received treatment for minor injuries.
Authorities have confirmed that six people were aboard the plane at the time of the crash, including a music executive, the former drummer of The Devil Wears Prada, and two employees from a local music talent agency.
The crashed aircraft, a Cessna Citation II (C550) twin-jet, is designed to carry between six and eight passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.