On Thursday, a small plane crashed into the roof of a building in Southern California, killing two people and injuring 19, according to local police, as reported by the “Adyrna” national portal.
According to the information, the deceased are believed to have been on the plane, while those injured were inside the building at the time. The building housed a furniture upholstery facility employing at least 200 people.
Police reported that 11 people were taken to the hospital, and 8 were treated on-site. Injuries ranged from minor to severe, according to Fullerton Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Mitchum.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Elliott Simpson stated that the plane was at an altitude of 900 feet (274 meters) when the pilot requested permission to return to the airport, which was granted. However, the pilot did not specify the reason for returning.
Data from FlightAware indicated that the plane crashed less than two minutes after taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport. The airport is located in Orange County, approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland. According to Simpson, the crash occurred about 1,000 feet (300 meters) from where the plane had taken off.
Surveillance footage showed the plane tilting to its side before crashing into the building, followed by an explosion.
“Firefighters and police responded to the scene, extinguished the fire, and evacuated nearby businesses,” said Fullerton Police spokesperson Kristi Wells.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident. The plane was identified as a Van’s RV-10, a single-engine, four-seat model.
The Orange County Register reported that a similar incident occurred at the same airport in November when another four-seat plane crashed into a tree during an emergency landing after takeoff, causing moderate injuries to two people.
Fullerton, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, is a city with a population of approximately 140,000.
