SAN DIEGO – A business jet slammed into a residential neighbourhood in San Diego early Thursday morning, killing at least two people and injuring eight others, according to local authorities.
The aircraft, identified as a Cessna 550 Citation, crashed around 3:45 a.m. near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, leaving a path of destruction in one of the city’s largest military housing communities. Emergency officials said the jet struck multiple homes, ignited vehicles, and scattered debris for more than a quarter mile. The smell of jet fuel lingered in the air as the sun rose over smouldering wreckage.
San Diego Fire Assistant Chief Dan Eddy confirmed that all confirmed fatalities were on board the aircraft, but investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have yet to determine the total number of occupants. Fire crews and neighbours evacuated homes as flames engulfed the area.
“You could barely see in front of you,” Eddy said of the dense fog conditions at the time of the crash. Weather data shows visibility was down to half a mile, with low cloud ceilings contributing to poor flying conditions.
Footage captured by a nearby resident showed cars ablaze along the street as alarms blared in the background. Several vehicles were charred beyond recognition. One resident said he awoke to a loud boom and the ground shaking. He rushed outside with a garden hose before helping police evacuate nearby homes.
Captain Robert Heely, Commanding Officer of Naval Base San Diego, confirmed the affected neighbourhood houses military families. “Certainly we have a lot of military families that are impacted,” he said.
Mayor Todd Gloria assured residents that the city will stand by them, stating that the military community remains a vital part of San Diego.
Twelve pets, including several dogs soaked in jet fuel, were rescued and treated by the San Diego Humane Society. Hazmat-suited responders washed and decontaminated the animals.
According to flight tracking data, the jet departed from Teterboro Airport near New York City on Wednesday night, made a stop in Wichita, Kansas, and continued to San Diego. Air traffic recordings show the pilot inquired about weather conditions during descent but was informed that the airport’s automated weather system was offline. The pilot received weather data from a nearby military base instead.
The aircraft, built in 1985 and owned by a company in Alaska, made no emergency call before the crash. With no control tower staff on duty overnight, the pilot would have been communicating intentions via a common frequency shared by local air traffic.
The investigation continues as authorities work to confirm the number of people aboard and the cause of the crash.
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