Small plane crashes, bursts into flames in field near Southern California airport; six passengers killed

Authorities said six passengers were killed when a tiny plane crashed in a field and erupted into flames during the second of two landing attempts in fog at a Southern California airport shortly before daybreak Saturday.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Cessna C550 business aircraft crashed at 4:15 a.m. near Murrieta, roughly 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Los Angeles.

According to the Riverside County Fire Department, it took firefighters more than an hour to extinguish the fires, which burnt nearly an acre of grass near French Valley Airport.

The jet, which can seat up to 13 people, crashed about 500 feet (150 meters) short of the intended runway, said Elliott Simpson, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

“Most of the airplane, with the exception of the tail, was consumed by fire,” Simpson told reporters at an afternoon briefing. Investigators were combing through a debris field about 200 feet (60 meters) long, he said.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement that all six individuals on board perished at the site. The victims, who were all adults, were not recognised right away.

The jet crashed during its second approach after taking off from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for the 45-minute journey to Murietta, according to the NTSB. Because of the low cloud ceiling, the pilot was authorised to land using just instruments, according to Simpson.

“The visibility and ceilings allowed for a landing, but it was right on the minimums” of the regulations set for that airport, he said. Investigators will review recordings between the pilot and air traffic control.

A preliminary report was expected in about two weeks, the NTSB said.

The FAA’s aircraft tracking database lists the jet as owned by Prestige Worldwide Flights LLC of Imperial, California. Officials with the company could not be reached for comment.

It was the second fatal crash this week at the small county-owned airport in Murrieta, a city with about 112,000 residents. A man was killed and three people were injured on July Fourth when a single-engine Cessna 172 crashed in a parking lot shortly after takeoff from French Valley.