Photo: Los Angeles Times
Six people were killed when a small plane crashed in Murrieta, California, on Saturday (July 8). The Cessna C550 left from Las Vegas and crashed into a field outside of French Valley Airport, bursting into flames just after 4 a.m.
The fire burned through about an acre of vegetation before it was extinguished. It took firefighters about an hour to get the fire fully contained.
All six occupants on the plane were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not been released.
Officials have not said what caused the crash, but it occurred during the pilot's second attempt to land.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have sent teams to the scene to investigate the crash.
It is the second fatal crash near the airport this week. On Tuesday, a single-engine Cessna 172 crashed after takeoff, killing the pilot, 39-year-old Jared Newman. Three juvenile passengers were injured in the crash and taken to the hospital.