CALIFORNIA, USA – A Cessna C550 private plane plunged into a field near Murrieta airport in California, killing all six passengers on board early on Saturday, July 8, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, confirmed.
The crash, which happened around 4:15 a.m. local time, southeast of Los Angeles, led to a small brush fire that was quickly contained by local authorities.
Upon arrival, police found the aircraft engulfed in flames.
“The six people on board were pronounced dead at the scene,” the local sheriff’s office said in a statement.
According to the FAA, the aircraft had departed from Las Vegas International Airport prior to the accident.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though local reports suggested heavy fog that blanketed the area early Saturday may have contributed to the tragic event.
“The visibility was reduced to almost zero due to the thick fog, which could have led the aircraft to miss the runway,” one local media outlet reported.
The identities of the victims have yet to be released as authorities are still in the process of notifying next of kin.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the crash are anticipated as the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board continue their investigation.
