A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood during foggy weather early Thursday, setting about 15 homes on fire as well as vehicles, and forcing evacuations along several blocks, authorities said. The incident occurred around 3:45 a.m. near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, creating chaos in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood where a number of military families reside. Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy described the scene as having “jet fuel all over the place” and emphasized the urgent need to search all homes and evacuate residents.
Residents like Christopher Moore, who witnessed the crash, shared their harrowing experiences of being awakened by a loud bang and seeing smoke billowing from the crash site. Moore and his family had to quickly evacuate their home, passing by a car engulfed in flames on their way out of the neighborhood. The dense, packed neighborhood was left in a state of shock as authorities scrambled to assess the situation and ensure the safety of everyone in the vicinity.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the Cessna 550 aircraft involved in the crash can carry six to eight people, but the number of individuals on board at the time remains unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the incident, which marks another tragic aviation mishap in the San Diego area. Despite the foggy conditions at the time of the crash, questions linger about what led to the plane going down and the extent of the damage caused. The community is left anxiously awaiting more information as authorities work diligently to piece together the events that transpired on that fateful morning.
