Small plane came apart in mid-air, before crashing into California house, killing five people
- Aerial footage shows plane parts, including a propeller, scattered on rooftops and driveways of burnt house
Five people died and two others were injured after a small plane apparently came apart, raining debris across a Southern California neighbourhood and igniting a house fire before landing in a backyard, authorities said on Sunday.
The male pilot, who was the only person in the twin-engined plane, and four people in the Yorba Linda house that caught fire died, Orange County Sheriff’s Lt Cory Martino said at a news conference on Sunday night. He says the deceased occupants of the home were two males and two females. No other identifying information such as names or ages was immediately released.
The Cessna 414A took off from the Fullerton Municipal Airport about a dozen miles west of the blaze, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.
A two-storey house burst into flames after being struck by the main cabin and one engine of the plane, sending panicked neighbours into the streets. The second engine dislodged and fell onto the street, creating a large hole in the asphalt, according to Eliott Simpson, an aviation accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
“It was a boom. It sounded like something exploded. It shook our house,” said John Wolbart, who lives a block away. He said he ran to the burning house and saw a woman come out with singed hair.
The wounded were taken to a hospital with burn injuries, said Pokey Sanchez, an assistant chief with the Orange County Fire Authority. A firefighter was also treated for a minor injury.