Small plane crashes into San Diego neighborhood, setting homes and vehicles on fire

SAN DIEGO — A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood during foggy weather early Thursday, setting about 15 homes on fire as well as vehicles, and forcing evacuations along several blocks, authorities said. "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." He said "there is a direct hit to multiple homes" in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood and described "a gigantic debris field" in an area of densely populated homes and sweeping canyon views. It was not known if there were any deaths or injuries. On the street, one home's roof was blackened and collapsed, with a piece of white metal sitting on the street in front. Half a dozen fully charred cars sat on the street and tree limbs, glass and pieces of white and blue metal were scattered on the road. At the end of the street black smoke billowed as the site continued to burn. Christopher Moore, who lives one street over from the crash site, said he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang and saw smoke when they looked out the window. They grabbed their two young children and ran out of the house. On their way out of the neighborhood they saw a car engulfed in flames. "It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you've just got to drop your head and get to safety," he said. Police rescued three husky puppies from one of the homes and rolled them away from the crash scene in a wagon. A few blocks away, families including Moore's stood in their pajamas in a parking lot waiting for word of when they can return to their homes. Many military service members live in the neighborhood, which is made up of single family homes and townhomes. It also is heavily populated by small civilian and military aircraft. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport and Gillespie Field are nearby. Eddy said it was very foggy at the time the private plane crashed. "You could barely see in front of you," he said. The Cessna 550 aircraft crashed at about 3:45 a.m. near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. "The number of people on board is unknown at this time," the FAA said in a statement. The plane can carry six to eight people. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. In October 2021, a twin-engine plane plowed into a San Diego suburb, killing the pilot and a UPS delivery driver on the ground and burning homes. It was preparing to land at the airport. In December 2008, a Marine Corps fighter jet slammed into a house in San Diego's University City neighborhood, causing an explosion that killed four people inside. The Marine Corps blamed the crash on mechanical failure and human error.