Fatal jet crash hits residential area in San Diego
A small Cessna Citation jet crashed early Thursday morning into a residential neighborhood in San Diego’s Murphy Canyon area near Tierrasanta, killing everyone on board and destroying multiple homes. The jet, capable of carrying up to 10 people, went down just before 4 a.m., sparking fires that consumed several houses and vehicles.
San Diego’s assistant fire chief Dan Eddy confirmed multiple fatalities among the passengers but did not specify the number aboard the aircraft. Miraculously, there were no serious injuries reported among residents on the ground, although about 100 people evacuated the neighborhood.
The crash left the area as a “gigantic debris field,” according to Police Chief Scott Wahl, who described the scene as horrific with jet fuel running down streets and fires engulfing cars and homes. Firefighters continued to battle flames several hours after the incident.
The jet had been attempting to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, located just across a highway from the crash site. Flight tracking data shows the aircraft departed from Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.
Officials have not yet disclosed the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are actively investigating the incident.
This tragic event echoes a similar crash in October 2021, when a small plane en route to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport crashed in Santee, northeast of San Diego, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and a UPS truck driver after the plane clipped the truck and destroyed two homes. [New York Times]
