Several Dead in San Diego Plane Crash That Destroyed Homes and Vehicles

Several fatalities are feared following a tragic crash involving a small aircraft that slammed into a residential neighborhood in San Diego, California, early Thursday morning. The incident caused extensive property damage, ignited multiple fires, and left the community in shock.

At least 10 homes were either struck by debris or caught fire, while numerous vehicles parked along both sides of the street were engulfed in flames after the Cessna 550 impacted the ground in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.

San Diego’s Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy confirmed the gravity of the situation, "There are more than one fatality that we found so far, but we're waiting to get the registered numbers that were on the plane itself."

Eddy described the devastation on the street, explaining, "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... We have jet fuel all over the place."

"I looked out the window and there was just flames everywhere. Then we heard the chain reaction of boom, boom, boom. And I'm like: 'Whoa'," a resident who witnessed the crash recounted his harrowing experience to a local Fox affiliate, choosing to remain anonymous.

Dramatic footage captured after the crash showed a trail of burning fuel linking the flaming vehicles, highlighting the scale of destruction. However, Eddy offered a small relief, noting that, "Miraculously, no one on the ground had been killed or seriously hurt."

Thick Fog and Early Morning Crash

The crash occurred around 3:45 a.m. local time (1145 GMT) amid dense fog conditions as the plane approached Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Originating from Kansas, the Cessna 550—a jet capable of carrying up to eight passengers—struck the largely military residential area, home to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard families.

Daylight revealed the extent of the damage: roofs charred and collapsing, vehicles twisted beyond recognition, and trees scorched. The smell of jet fuel lingered for hours as investigators and emergency crews searched for clues.

"Police officers had gone door-to-door getting people out of their homes. I immediately just rushed to the front door, just looking outside, seeing what's happening... I made sure all my siblings were awake and they were conscious and they were okay," high school senior Zane Baker, who lives nearby, described the tense evacuation process.

"The entirety of our parking lots and other areas are completely filled. A lot of the entryways are blocked. People can't get in or out. It's a confusing mess," said Baker, whose family has a military background. He noted that many residents were evacuated and that the area was chaotic.

Incident in the Context of Aviation Safety Concerns

This tragedy comes amid a period of increased scrutiny of air travel safety in the U.S. Recent weeks have seen multiple air traffic control outages, including two incidents at Newark airport on the East Coast, and a mid-air collision in January near Washington involving a passenger plane and a military helicopter.

Additionally, earlier this month, a fatal small plane crash occurred in a residential neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles, killing two people on board.

Summary

• Small Cessna 550 crashed before dawn in San Diego’s Murphy Canyon neighborhood

• At least 10 houses damaged or burned; multiple vehicles destroyed by fire

• Several fatalities confirmed; exact number of passengers on board pending

• Thick fog reported at time of crash during approach to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport

• No serious injuries reported on the ground

• Evacuations and ongoing investigation underway

This tragic San Diego plane crash has shaken the local community and once again highlighted the risks involved in general aviation flying near populated areas. Authorities continue to investigate the cause and exact number of casualties.