A devastating plane crash occurred in the Tierrasanta neighborhood of San Diego, California, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Gatekeepers News reports that the small, private plane crashed into a military housing complex, causing widespread damage and fires.
According to Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy, the plane had capacity for between 8 and 10 people, but it is not clear how many people were on board during the crash. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the scene as “pretty horrific,” with jet fuel going down the street and everything on fire.
The crash left a trail of charred vehicles and damaged houses, with downed power lines observed near the scene.
Emergency responders struggled to contain the fire, and residents of the neighborhood were evacuated. Two schools near the site have been closed for the day, and authorities have asked people to avoid the area.
The San Diego Police Department confirmed multiple fatalities and reported that one person remains hospitalized, with two others treated and released.
The plane, which was en route from the Midwest, caused damage to several homes and vehicles in the neighborhood but did not cause any injuries to residents.
“It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes, you’ve just got to drop your head and get to safety,” said Christopher Moore, a resident who lives one street over from the site of the crash.
Eddy said that heavy fog severely diminished visibility at the time of the crash, with visibility so poor that “you could barely see in front of you.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that the National Transportation Safety Board will oversee an investigation into the incident.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities will work to determine the cause of the crash.
According to Flight Aware, a Cessna Citation II jet was scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3:47am after departing from the Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.
Authorities have yet to confirm the make and model of the plane involved in the crash.
