At least 2 people were killed and eight injured after a private jet from Teterboro, New Jersey crashed into a a San Diego neighborhood housing military families as they slept Thursday morning — sparking a huge fire, authorities said.
The Cessna 550 made a “direct hit to multiple homes” and vehicles just before 4 a.m. local time, leaving a “gigantic debris field” in the Tierrasanta neighborhood of San Diego, Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference.
“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Eddy said, confirming that at least 15 homes had been set ablaze in the crash.
Investigators look through the site where a small plane crashed in San Diego, California. AFP via Getty Images“Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now,” he said of the evacuation of several surrounding blocks.
Authorities confirmed that two people are dead and eight others were injured in the crash. Officials said some people on the ground were hurt, but nobody died.
Investigators believe both fatalities were people on the plane and that no one aboard survived.
Fire crews are still battling to put out vehicle blazes at the scene of the crash.
The smell of jet fuel was still prominent hours after the crash in the suburb of San Diego.
Police helped rescue dogs from a home after a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood. AP“I can’t quite put words to describe what the scene looks like, but with the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a Thursday morning press conference.
The Cessna 550 can carry up to 10 people, but “the number of people on board is unknown at this time,” the FAA said.
San Diego officials haven’t yet released details about the plane, but said the flight had landed in Wichita, Kansas, to refuel before the crash.
A Cessna Citation II jet was scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport at 3:47 a.m. from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas, flight tracking site FlightAware lists.
The crash sparked huge fires and a major evacuation of an area that is home to military families. APAirport officials said the flight originated from Teterboro, New Jersey, on Wednesday night before making a fueling stop in Wichita.
Teterboro, some 6 miles from Manhattan, is frequently used by private and corporate jets.
Cessna Citation II jets are listed for between $900,000 and $1.3 million on Trade-a-Plane.com.
The plane that crashed was registered to an Alaska-based company called Daviator LLC.
Daviator’s manager and sole employee is 42-year-old David Shapiro from the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, California, records show.
Shapiro is a certified flight instructor since 2010, with a license issued in Alaska in 2010, according FAA records obtained by CBS 8. It is unclear if Shapiro had been aboard the plane.
A photo shared on X showed a huge blaze, with the poster writing: “A small plane just crashed in my neighborhood??????????? What the f–k.”
Authorities work the scene where a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, setting several homes on fire. APChristopher Moore, who lives one street over from the crash site, said he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang and saw smoke and fire as they grabbed their two young children and fled.
“It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you’ve just got to drop your head and get to safety,” he said.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established, but it happened during intense morning fog near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
San Diego Police Department’s X post about the crash. CBS 8“You could barely see in front of you,” said Eddy, the assistant fire chief.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.
In October 2021, a twin-engine plane plowed into a San Diego suburb, killing the pilot and a UPS delivery driver on the ground and burning homes. It was preparing to land at the airport.
With Post wires
