2 dead and 19 injured in Southern California plane crash

[January 03, 2025]  By JAIMIE DING and DAMIAN DOVARGANES

FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) — Two people died and 19 were injured Thursday when a small plane crashed through the roof of a sprawling furniture manufacturing building in Southern California where at least 200 people were working, police said.

The people who died were believed to have been on the plane, while those injured were inside the building. The deceased victims will be identified after officials have contacted the next of kin, the Fullerton Police Department said in a statement.

Eleven people were taken to hospitals, while eight were treated and released at the scene, police said. The injuries ranged from minor to very serious, said Michael Meacham, Fullerton deputy chief of fire operations.

Eliott Simpson, a National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator, said the pilot asked for an immediate return to the airport at about 900 feet (274 meters) and the tower confirmed it could immediately land. The pilot did not say why he needed to return.

The plane crashed less than two minutes after taking off from the Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, located 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. The crash occurred about 1,000 feet (305 meters) short of Runway 24, Simpson said.

Security camera footage from Rucci Forged, a wheel manufacturer across the street, shows the plane was tilted on its side as it dove into the building, causing a fiery explosion and black plume of smoke.

Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled the blaze and evacuated surrounding businesses, Fullerton police spokesperson Kristy Wells said.

Chris Villalobos, an airport operations worker, came to the warehouse to see what had happened after receiving a phone call about a plane going down nearby. He noted the airplane's owner was a regular at the airport and has frequently taken off from there.

“He has a hangar here and everything,” Villalobos said.

After taking off, the pilot told air traffic control he was going to turn around to make an emergency landing, but it was unclear what the issue with the plane was, Villalobos said.

This image taken from video, shows a small plane about to crash into a commercial building in Fullerton, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (RUCCI FORGED via AP)

The building struck by the plane was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door. There appeared to be sewing machines and textile stock inside.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident and identified the plane as a single-engine, four-seat Van's RV-10. Simpson of the NTSB said the aircraft was built in 2011 and is a popular "kit-built airplane.”

The airport in Fullerton has one runway and a heliport. Metrolink, a regional train line, is nearby and flanks a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouse buildings.

The Fullerton City Council posted a statement on social media calling the crash a “solemn tragedy.”

“The City of Fullerton is committed to providing support for all those affected and working with the agencies involved to uncover the details of this incident,” Mayor Fred Jung said in the statement. “We are grateful for the strength of our community and the compassion we show one another in times of crisis.”

Another four-seat plane crashed into a tree a half-mile from the airport in November while making an emergency landing shortly after takeoff, The Orange County Register reported. Both people on board suffered moderate injuries.

Fullerton is a city of about 140,000 people about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.

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Associated Press writers Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, and Hallie Golden in Seattle and photographer Eugene Garcia in Fullerton, California, contributed.

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