A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood during thick smog this morning, setting homes and vehicles ablaze. In breaking news, all of the passengers aboard the craft have been declared deceased. Authorities have evacuated homes along a several block stretch.
The Cessna 550 aircraft crashed at about 3:45 a.m. near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced. It crashed into Tierrasanta, a military housing community about 10 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. The plane crashed off Santo Road near Sculpin Street. The plane would usually carry 6-8 passengers.
Scene of Plane Crash
15 homes were hit directly by the plane, and HAZMAT teams had responded. Jet fuel spewed all over the area, setting multiple cars on fire. Tree limbs, glass, and metal were scattered all over the road and in yards. Black smoke thickened the area as the fire continued to burn.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy said this at a news conference.
“We have jet fuel all over the place. Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now. We will be investigating whether the plane hit a power line. No one on the ground was injured, he said. We will be investigating whether the plane hit a power line. No one on the ground was injured. 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. You can see that every single car was burning down both sides of the street.”
Military Neighborhood
The neighborhood is made up of single-family homes, and townhomes is heavily populated by military personnel and their families. Several small civilian and military aircraft are also parked in the area. The military personnel are stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, and Gillespie Field, which are all nearby.
Multiple crews remained on the scene and are expected to be in the area for the next 24 hours. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said more than 50 police officers responded to the scene to evacuate residents, secure the area, and search for survivors. “I can’t quite put words to describe what this scene looks like with the jet fuel going down the street and everything on fire at once,” Wahl said.
Aftermath of the Crash
The crash displaced at least 100 people, Wahl said. Naval Base San Diego Commanding Officer Captain Bob Heely said the neighborhood is one of the largest military housing bases in the world. He also said that the United Service Organizations − the leading charitable organization serving active-duty service members and military families − would assist displaced residents.
Two schools less than a mile from the crash site, Hancock and Miller Elementary, are closed for the day. An evacuation site was established at Miller Elementary, and people are being asked to avoid the area. No local residents were seriously injured.
