Two people dead, 19 injured as plane crashes into California furniture factory
Firefighters respond to a commercial building where a small plane crashed in Fullerton, California, on January 2.Firefighters respond to a commercial building where a small plane crashed in Fullerton, California, on January 2. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The factory was bustling with at least 200 workers at the time of the incident.
A small plane crashed into the roof of a large furniture factory in Southern California on Thursday, leaving two people dead and 19 injured, police said.
The factory was bustling with at least 200 workers at the time of the incident.
Authorities believe the two fatalities were the plane's occupants, while the injured were inside the building.
The names of the deceased will be released after their families have been informed, according to a statement from the Fullerton Police Department.
Out of the 19 injured, 11 were hospitalized, while eight were treated at the scene and released.
Injuries ranged from minor to very serious, said Michael Meacham, deputy fire chief of Fullerton.
Eliott Simpson, an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), revealed that the pilot requested to return to the airport shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of about 900 feet (274 meters).
The air traffic control tower granted permission for an immediate landing, but the pilot did not specify the reason for the return.
The crash occurred less than two minutes after takeoff from Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, which is approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland.
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, the plane went down about 1,000 feet (305 meters) short of Runway 24, Simpson said.
Security footage from Rucci Forged, a nearby business, captured the plane tilting on its side before crashing into the building.
The collision triggered a fiery explosion and sent a thick black plume of smoke into the air.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, extinguished the flames, and evacuated nearby businesses, said Fullerton Police spokesperson Kristy Wells.
Chris Villalobos, an airport worker, visited the crash site after receiving a call about the incident. He noted that the plane’s owner was a frequent flyer at the airport and regularly took off from there.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash.
A small plane crashed into the roof of a large furniture factory in Southern California on Thursday, leaving two people dead and 19 injured, police said.
The factory was bustling with at least 200 workers at the time of the incident.
Authorities believe the two fatalities were the plane's occupants, while the injured were inside the building.
The names of the deceased will be released after their families have been informed, according to a statement from the Fullerton Police Department.
Out of the 19 injured, 11 were hospitalized, while eight were treated at the scene and released. Injuries ranged from minor to very serious, said Michael Meacham, deputy fire chief of Fullerton.
Eliott Simpson, an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), revealed that the pilot requested to return to the airport shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of about 900 feet (274 meters).
The air traffic control tower granted permission for an immediate landing, but the pilot did not specify the reason for the return.
The crash occurred less than two minutes after takeoff from Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, which is approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland.
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, the plane went down about 1,000 feet (305 meters) short of Runway 24, Simpson said.
Security footage from Rucci Forged, a nearby business, captured the plane tilting on its side before crashing into the building.
The collision triggered a fiery explosion and sent a thick black plume of smoke into the air.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, extinguished the flames, and evacuated nearby businesses, said Fullerton Police spokesperson Kristy Wells.
Chris Villalobos, an airport worker, visited the crash site after receiving a call about the incident.
He noted that the plane’s owner was a frequent flyer at the airport and regularly took off from there.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash.
