2 dead in California plane crash that burned homes

SANTEE, Calif. — A tiny level crashed successful a densely populated San Diego suburb Monday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 2 people, including a UPS driver. At slightest 2 others were injured.

Witnesses described an aged mates being rescued from 1 of 2 homes that were destroyed successful Santee, a mostly residential suburb of 50,000 people. At slightest 3 different homes sustained important damage.

Several vehicles, including a transportation truck, were besides torched.

“Not to beryllium excessively graphic but it’s a beauteous brutal scene,” Justin Matsushita, Santee’s lawman occurrence chief, said arsenic firefighters searched the smoldering ruins.

Authorities didn’t place the transportation motortruck institution oregon accidental if anyone was inside, but United Parcel Service of America Inc. confirmed 1 of its workers died.

“We are heartbroken by the nonaccomplishment of our employee, and widen our deepest condolences to his household and friends,” the institution said. “We besides nonstop our condolences for the different individuals who are progressive successful this incident, and their families and friends.”

The information of the 2 injured wasn’t instantly known.

Jim Slaff told NBC 7 successful San Diego that neighbors pulled his parent retired of a model of her burning location and rescued his stepfather from the backyard. It appears their canine died.

Slaff said neighbors told him the mates was “obviously shaken up but doing OK” and taken to UC San Diego Medical Center. “It’s a warfare zone. It’s not adjacent a house,” Slaff said aft arriving astatine the scene.

Andrew Pelloth, 30, was moving from location erstwhile helium heard a whirring and past a immense boom.

“My archetypal thought was that it was a meteorite coming down,” helium said. “I could perceive it falling and past immoderate benignant of explosion.”

Pelloth saw a transportation motortruck engulfed successful flames and his neighbor’s location straight crossed the thoroughfare consumed by fire. His neighbour was lasting connected the sidewalk pleading for assistance to get her canine that she said had been wrong the home. Mangled ruins of vehicles were successful the driveway.

The pistillate and her hubby were burned connected their arms but were inactive capable to locomotion and talk, Pelloth said.

No 1 was location astatine the different residence that was destroyed, which sold lone a period ago. Pelloth said helium met the caller proprietor Monday arsenic helium arrived to spot the damage.

The level was a twin-engine Cessna C340, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It wasn’t instantly known wherever the formation originated oregon was headed, oregon however galore radical were connected board. Matsushita said anyone aboard couldn’t person survived.

The clang happened astir 3 blocks from Santana High School successful the metropolis of astir 50,000 residents. The schoolhouse said connected Twitter that “all students are secure.”

The clang tract is simply a fewer miles northbound of Gillespie Field, a tiny San Diego County airport.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board volition investigate.