'Direct hit': Small plane crashes in San Diego; homes, cars set ablaze
SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) – A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood early Thursday morning, setting multiple homes and vehicles on fire.
The crash happened at about 3:45 a.m. near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. According to the San Diego Police Department, the incident was reported just before 4 a.m. in the Murphy Canyon community.
At least 15 residences were affected.
“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now."
He said “there is a direct hit to multiple homes" in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood and described “a gigantic debris field" in a dense, packed neighborhood.
Families in the neighborhood have been evacuated.
Authorities have not released information on how many people were on board the aircraft or if there were any injuries. However, the plane model, a Cessna 550, is designed to carry six to eight people.
Eddy said it was very foggy at the time the private plane crashed. “You could barely see in front of you," he said.
San Diego Police and other first responders remained on scene as the investigation continued.
Residents were advised to avoid the area while authorities assessed the situation and secured the crash site. It is not yet known what caused the plane to go down.
The FAA released the following statement on the incident:
"A Cessna 550 crashed near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in California, around 3:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 22. The number of people on board is unknown at this time. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NSTB will lead the investigation and provide any updates."
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 at the airport.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.