A light plane crash in Fullerton, California, resulted in two fatalities and 19 injuries, according to local police.
A single-engine aircraft crashed into a furniture warehouse in Fullerton, California, igniting a fire and necessitating evacuations. Authorities confirmed two deaths, believed to be the plane’s occupants, and 19 injuries.
The Fullerton Police Department reported the incident, which occurred around 2 p.m. local time near the city airport, on Thursday. Emergency responders encountered an active fire, leading to nearby business evacuations.
One person is dead and 18 others injured after a small plane crashed into a warehouse near Airport today. Security camera footage captured the crash and fireball that followed.
— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber)
Authorities located a Vans RV-10 experimental aircraft inside the burning building.
The statement confirmed two fatalities, both believed to have been onboard the aircraft. Their identities remain undisclosed pending family notification.
BREAKING: A small plane has crashed into a commercial warehouse near Fullerton Airport, along Raymer Ave. There are reported casualties, firefighters battling a 4 alarm fire
— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi)
Social media video shows the plane impacting the building, immediately resulting in a large fire. The resulting smoke plume was visible for miles.
An eyewitness inside the warehouse described panicked individuals fleeing the spreading flames, according to California’s ABC7 KABC.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash.
NTSB’s Eliot Simpson told ABC7 KABC the aircraft was a kit-built plane assembled in 2011. He indicated a preliminary report within two weeks, with a more comprehensive report taking a year or more.
FlightAware data shows the RV-10 crashed two minutes after takeoff.
Simpson stated the plane reached approximately 270 meters (900 feet) before the pilot requested an immediate return to the airport.
Van’s Aircraft, Inc., the RV-10 manufacturer, promotes the homebuilt kit plane as a “viable alternative to four-seat production airplanes.”