Posted on 05/22/2025 8:53:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A private jet crashed into a San Diego neighborhood during foggy weather early Thursday, setting about 15 homes on fire as well as vehicles, and forcing the evacuation of several blocks, authorities said.
It was not immediately known how many people were aboard the aircraft, but officials confirmed multiple fatalities.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Cessna 550 went down around 3:45 a.m. near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in Murphy Canyon, a community comprised of military housing.
San Diego Police and other first responders rushed to the scene and battled the flames fueled by spilled jet fuel., KSWB-TV reported.
“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now.”
Authorities later confirmed that all of the fatalities were aboard the aircraft and no residents of the community required hospitalization.
“When it hit the street, as the jet fuel went down, it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street,” Eddy said. “You can see that every single car was burning down both sides of the street.”
The flight tracking site Flight Aware lists a Cessna Citation II jet that was scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3:47 a.m. from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.
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Eddy said it was very foggy at the time the private plane crashed. “You could barely see in front of you,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Agreed, and part 91 rules, to my astonishment, allows flying a “look-see” approach with weather below minimums, as well as allows flying a Cat B approach in a Cat C airplane, as long as the speeds flown are lower per Cat B (max 120 knots).
That said, later it was confirmed this particular Cessna 550 airplane was Cat B anyway.
And get off on pushing out pilots with "instrument ratings" and not thoroughly vetting them in an oral just how not to use the rating.
The Citation Pilot sounded so confident on the radio with ATC. Something as basic as no current Altimeter Setting could have caused him to clip power lines.
However, Half Mile Visibility, with Fog - when you hear that it's time to inconvience your passengers and go to another airport!!
Safety Rant OFF!
Agreed!
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