At least 2 dead in California plane crash that burned homes

By JULIE WATSON

SANTEE, Calif. (AP) — A tiny level crashed into a Southern California vicinity Monday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 2 people, injuring 2 others and mounting 2 homes ablaze, authorities said.

It wasn’t instantly known whether the victims were connected the crushed oregon connected committee the twin-engine Cessna that went down astir midday successful suburban Santee, astir 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of downtown San Diego,

Deputy Fire Chief Justin Matsushita said 2 radical died astatine the country and 2 are hospitalized successful chartless condition.

Two homes and aggregate vehicles, including a container truck, were destroyed by fire, officials said.

“Not to beryllium excessively graphic but it’s a beauteous brutal scene,” Matsushita said.

TV quality footage astir an hr aft the clang showed the occurrence extinguished and 2 houses and the motortruck inactive smoldering and gutted by flames.

Jim Slaff told NBC 7 successful San Diego that neighbors pulled his parent retired of a model of her burning location and rescued his stepfather from the backyard. It appears their canine died.

Slaff said neighbors told him the mates was “obviously shaken up but doing OK” and taken to UC San Diego Medical Center. “It’s a warfare zone. It’s not adjacent a house,” Slaff said aft arriving astatine the scene.

The level was a twin-engine Cessna C340, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It wasn’t instantly known wherever the formation originated oregon was headed, oregon however galore radical were connected board.

The clang happened astir 3 blocks from Santana High School successful the metropolis of astir 50,000 residents. The schoolhouse said connected Twitter that “all students are secure.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board volition investigate.

___

Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat successful San Diego and Christopher Weber successful Los Angeles contributed to this report.