Santee plane crash kills 2, burns homes in California neighborhood
A minimum of two individuals have been killed after a small airplane crashed into a number of houses and automobilesin a suburban Southern California neighborhood Monday, officers stated.
The crash occurred shortly after midday within the metropolis of Santee, about 20 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, Hearth Chief John Garlow informed USA TODAY.
The airplane, a twin engine Cessna 340, struck a number of houses and a number of automobiles, together with aUPS truck, Garlow stated. Three houses had “main harm” and two have been fully burned, he stated.
A minimum of two individuals died, and extra victims have been potential, Deputy Hearth Chief Justin Matsushita informed reporters.
“It is a fairly brutal scene,” Matsushita stated.
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Earlier, two individuals have been taken to the hospital with burn wounds, Garlow stated. It was not instantly clear in the event that they have been the 2 individuals who died.
It was not instantly clear if the motive force of the UPS truck was hit within the crash, officers stated.
It was additionally unclear whether or not anybody was contained in the broken houses, Garlow stated. The sheriff’s division was checking inside close by houses, too, he stated.
Jennifer Ward informed USA TODAY she was sitting at house watching a film when she felt the home shake.
“I assumed a tree fell on my home, after which I ran exterior and noticed all of the black smoke,” Ward stated. The airplane crashed one avenue over from her. Ward stated she drives down the highway “a number of occasions a day.”
The airplane crashed between Ward’s home and close by Santana Excessive Faculty. College students at Santana quickly went into safe places and have been later launched.
“All the children on the college have been actually scared as a result of they didn’t know what was happening, and the varsity was shaking, too,” stated Ward, whose 15-year-old son attends Santana.
The Federal Aviation Administration and Nationwide Transportation Security Board have been investigating.
The American Pink Cross of Southern California arrange a brief evacuation middle at a close-by YMCA.
Santee has seen different airplane crashes in recent times, Garlow stated. A crash in a business space in 2015 killed a pilot, he stated. One other crash 10 years in the past in a residential space additionally killed a pilot, he stated.