San Diego, CA – A private jet crashed into a U.S. military housing neighborhood in San Diego during foggy conditions early Thursday morning, resulting in multiple fatalities and igniting several vehicles parked along a suburban block. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, including the possibility that the aircraft struck a power line prior to impact.
Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy confirmed the fatalities at a news conference, though the exact number of victims on board the plane, which has a capacity of eight to ten people, remains unconfirmed. The aircraft crashed just before 4 a.m. into the largest U.S. military housing area, appearing to directly impact at least one residence, causing its roof to char and collapse, and severely damaging approximately half a dozen vehicles. Around ten homes in total sustained damage.
While initial reports indicated no immediate transports from the military housing by emergency crews, San Diego Police Officer Anthony Carrasco later stated that five individuals from a single family were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. An additional person was treated at a hospital for injuries sustained while escaping through a window, and two others received on-scene treatment for minor injuries.
San Diego officials have yet to release specific details about the aircraft, but confirmed it originated from the Midwest. Flight tracking data from FlightAware identified a Cessna Citation II jet scheduled to arrive at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego at 3:47 a.m. local time, following a fueling stop in Wichita, Kansas. The flight’s initial departure was Wednesday night from Teterboro, New Jersey, an airport frequently used by private and corporate jets located about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Manhattan.
Hours after the crash, the strong odor of jet fuel lingered in the San Diego neighborhood as authorities worked to extinguish a persistent car fire. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the aftermath as “pretty horrific to see,” noting the jet fuel running down the street and everything ablaze simultaneously.
Debris from the aircraft, including chunks of metal, was scattered across the street, with no discernible main body of the plane immediately visible. Half a dozen cars were completely charred, and the area was littered with tree limbs, melted trash cans, glass, and pieces of white and blue metal. Black smoke continued to billow from a smoldering vehicle at the end of the block, while water mixed with jet fuel flowed down the street.
Chief Wahl stated that over 50 police officers were on the scene within minutes, initiating the evacuation of homes. At least 100 residents were displaced and directed to an evacuation center at a nearby elementary school.
Christopher Moore, residing one street over from the crash site, recounted being awakened by a loud explosion and witnessing smoke. He evacuated his three young children, observing a car engulfed in flames while leaving the neighborhood. Ariya Waterworth, who lives directly across from the crash site, described waking up to a “whooshing sound” followed by a large fireball. She quickly evacuated her dog and two children, noting that one of her family’s cars was “completely disintegrated” and the other sustained significant damage. Her yard was covered in plane parts and debris. Despite the destruction, Waterworth expressed gratitude for her family’s safety.
The affected neighborhood consists of single-family homes and townhomes and is located approximately 2 miles (3 kilometers) from Montgomery-Gibbs Airport. Assistant Fire Chief Eddy noted the extremely foggy conditions at the time of the crash, stating visibility was severely limited. Officials are investigating whether the plane struck a power line before crashing onto land owned by the U.S. Navy.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.
This incident brings to mind previous aviation tragedies in the San Diego area, including a 2021 crash where a twin-engine plane struck a suburb, killing the pilot and a delivery driver, and a 2008 crash involving a U.S. Marine Corps fighter jet that killed four people in a residential area.
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