CESSNA 550
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 ...
Daily Mail reporting that “up to ten feared dead.”
My old Stomping Grounds...
Executive golf outing?
You have to wonder what % of private plane mishaps consists of passengers making unreasonable demands of pilots.
AVIATION PING.....................
CESSNA 550
860 gal of Jet fuel. 5800 lbs. Probly full at takeoff.
Pilots without instrument ratings flying into heavy weather is a common cause of crashes. Aviation people call it the “gotta-goes”. Is it time to require instrument ratings to fly a plane?
The funnest airplane I’ve ever flown and one of the most forgiving. I currently hold a type rating on it but I don’t actively flight.
Pinging SkyDancer
Jet hits residential neighborhood, 15 homes on fire, and “no residents of the community required hospitalization.”
If that is true, it’s a true miracle.
I can watch planes take off and land from my home office window. They get executive jets a 1/2 dozen times per week. Generally speaking, they typically take off N to S, S to N which is left, right or right left to me depending on the wind direction but once in a while we get a Cessna 172 that takes a severe turn over our house to do their touch and go’s and it makes you wonder sometimes.
Monkey Field,as I’d call it,
Always had The Rich and Famous and is a mile from Mom’s place Who is Fine now.
Thanks
3:45 a.m. Was it taking off or landing?
Fifteen homes on fire at 3:45 a.m. and nobody in the homes needed hospitalization? Everybody had to be sound asleep at home.
This isn't a regular general aviation aircraft. As a jet, the insurance company likely required the pilot to have an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. An ATP would require 1,500 flying hours (with some slightly lower hour exceptions for certain graduates of flight colleges), including an instrument rating.
With a privately-owned jet involved in this type of crash, my first suspicion would be that someone cut corners on maintenance items, including maintenance or inspections related to the instruments, and the pilot then relied on them to disastrous effect.
Is That old CUB still doing touch and Goes there ?
I’d stop and Watch that tail dragging stunt pilot on Aero Drive!
Absolutely Fantastic!
Landing,
SD probably gets lots of these flights. We have the closest thing to a real airport near Bandon Dunes golf resorts. Quite a few small jets come in.
According to reports the jet took off from Kansas so it didn't have that much fuel onboard when it crashed.
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