Six people tragically lost their lives when a small plane crashed and erupted into flames in a field near a Southern California airport on Saturday. The incident occurred around 4:15 a.m. in Murrieta, approximately 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The aircraft involved in the crash was a Cessna C550 business jet. Firefighters worked for over an hour to extinguish the flames, which had consumed the plane and scorched approximately an acre of vegetation just north of French Valley Airport, as reported by the Riverside County Fire Department.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office stated that all six individuals on board perished at the scene. However, their identities have not yet been released.
The ill-fated flight had departed from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, according to the FAA.
In response to the tragedy, both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will launch investigations to determine the cause of the accident.
This unfortunate incident marks the second fatal crash at the small county-owned airport in Murrieta this week. On July Fourth, a single-engine Cessna 172 crashed in a parking lot shortly after takeoff from French Valley, resulting in one fatality and three injuries.
Our thoughts are with the victims’ families and loved ones during this difficult time.
