Multiple people are dead after plane crashes into San Diego neighborhood
San Diego, California - Several people were killed after a small plane crashed into a California neighborhood before dawn Thursday, destroying homes and setting cars on fire.
At least 10 houses were burned or hit by debris that spread over a wide area, and cars on both sides of a street went up in flames when the Cessna 550 slammed into the ground in San Diego.
"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," said San Diego's Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy, adding, "We have jet fuel all over the place."
The plane had six people aboard, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.
One of the dead was identified as Dave Shapiro, a music agent who founded San Diego-based Sound Talent Group (STG).
The company said two other members of staff who were aboard the plane had also died.
"We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues, and friends," an STG spokesperson said.
The San Diego Police Department said Thursday afternoon that at least two people had died, but first responders at the scene said the plane had been totally destroyed and they expected the toll to rise.
San Diego incident is one of many recent plane crashes
Daylight revealed what a close call it had been for some people, with images showing the roof of one home blackened and collapsing.
Vehicles were twisted and charred, and several trees were burned. The smell of fuel hung in the air hours after the crash as authorities combed the area for clues.
The accident happened in thick fog when the plane, which had come from Kansas, was nearing the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
The plane, which can carry up to eight people, went down around 3:45 AM (1145 GMT), according to the Federal Aviation Administration, striking the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.
The residential area it hit is largely military housing. San Diego is home to US Navy facilities, Marine Corps bases, and Coast Guard stations.
The accident came at a time of heightened tension in the skies above America, with a number of incidents rocking public confidence in flying.
Air traffic control outages have struck the busy Newark airport on the East Coast at least twice in recent weeks. In January, there was a mid-air collision over Washington between a passenger plane and a military helicopter.
This month, two people who were onboard a small plane died when it crashed into a residential neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.
Cover photo: SANDY HUFFAKER / AFP