TWO people have died after a plane slammed into a neighborhood in San Diego in a fiery crash that set 15 homes and several cars ablaze.
Eight others were injured when the plane plunged from the sky and crashed into military housing in heavy fog.
The small plane crashed in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, near Tierrasanta, before 4 am, reported San Diego ABC affiliate KGTV.
Two people on board, later identified as former The Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams and music Agent Dave Shapiro, were killed in the horrific scene.
One hundred people were evacuated from their homes as flames spread from the wreckage to up to 15 homes.
Cars were also torched in the chaos.
“When it hit the street, as the jet fuel went down it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street,” assistant fire chief Dan Eddy told reporters.
“You can see that every single car was burning down both sides of the street.”
In the horrifying aftermath, it was initially unclear how many people were on board the aircraft.
However, police have now confirmed that two people on the private plane were killed in the wreck.
Emergency responders were searching for victims in a large debris field because of the extensive blast radius, and they were seen carrying three Husky puppies from a charred home.
A police spokesman described the horror as “a movie-style scene.”
“I can’t quite put words to describe what the scene looks like,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl.
“But with the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see.”
Of the eight people who were wounded, one person was hospitalized and two others were treated and released, SDPD said.
HUGE EXPLOSION
Emergency crews rushed to the scene near the Admiral Baker Golf Course just before 3:50 am.
The plane was about to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport when it slammed into the neighborhood.
Responders spent the morning carrying out a primary and secondary search of the area with several blocks under evacuation orders.
The neighborhood is run by Liberty Military Housing, which provides single-family and townhomes to service members on and near bases.
Residents reported being woken up by a large “boom.”
One local woman told KGTV she realized she had to make a speedy escape when she saw a wall of orange flames outside her home.
Another man heard the explosion and described seeing the plane plunge toward the ground.
When he saw a “trail of orange” and the “sky light up orange” following the crash, he knew he had to immediately evacuate his family.
Every single car was burning down both sides of the street.
They safely escaped the inferno.
But their car, which was parked in front of their home, was destroyed.
It ended up being dragged all the way down the street amid the chaos.
The man said he was shocked as he would never have imagined a plane crash in the densely populated residential area.
Christopher Moore, who lives one street over from the crash site, said he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang and saw smoke filling the street.
While escaping, they saw a car engulfed in flames, “It was definitely horrifying for sure.”
Power lines are also down, which has prompted an emergency response from energy workers.
Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said earlier, “We have jet fuel all over the place.
“Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now.”
Eddy confirmed it was very foggy at the time the private plane crashed.
“You could barely see in front of you,” he added.
He also said during a news conference that they will be investigating whether the plane hit a power line.
THE PLANE’S LAST MOMENTS
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a Cessna 550 aircraft.
It was coming from the Midwestern United States, according to officials.
The plane can carry six to eight people.
Pete Muntean, CNN’s aviation correspondent, said on X that there was, “No apparent distress call from the Citation private jet that crashed into Navy housing on approach into San Diego’s Montgomery Field.”
Everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see.
The flight tracking site Flight Aware listed a Cessna Citation II jet that was scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3:47 am from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, and Gillespie Field are located near the devastated area.
The San Diego Police Department has asked people to contact authorities if they find any plane debris or jet fuel.
Emergency teams said they expected to remain at the crash site for the remainder of today, and overnight.
Police have warned local residents against trying to travel to the affected area, to allow emergency crews to search for possible victims.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14298010/plane-crashes-san-diego-neighborhood-cars-home-fire/
