Six Are Dead After a Small Plane Crash in California

On Saturday, July 8, 2023, a small plane crash occurred near French Valley Airport in Murrieta, California, resulting in the deaths of six people. The plane, a Cessna C550, was traveling from Las Vegas when it crashed during the pilot's second approach. Emergency responders found the aircraft engulfed in flames in a field outside the airport. The identities of the victims were not immediately available.

The crash occurred around 4:15 a.m. local time, and the fire caused by the crash burned about an acre of vegetation before being contained over an hour later. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to Elliott Simpson, an NTSB investigator, a foggy marine layer of air mass caused low visibility in the area shortly before the pilot planned to land. The pilot informed air traffic controllers that he was going to perform a missed approach procedure, which is typically done when the pilot cannot see the runway and intends to land again later. Air traffic controllers approved the procedure, but the plane crashed about 500 feet short of the runway during an instrument landing approach.

The crash came just days after another fatal plane crash at French Valley Airport. On Tuesday prior to the crash, a single-engine Cessna 172 crashed shortly after takeoff from the same airport. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene, and three juvenile passengers were hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries.

It's worth noting that the NTSB stated that the crashes at French Valley Airport may be unrelated and that investigations are still ongoing to determine the causes of both incidents.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Fascinating Science of Genetics: Discovering Our DNA

How the Brain Works: Exploring the Mysteries of Neural Networks

The best scholarships for international students