Tragic Plane Crash Claims Six Lives in California
Murrieta : In a devastating incident, a small plane traveling from Las Vegas crashed near French Valley Airport in Murrieta, California, resulting in the loss of six lives. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported that emergency responders discovered the aircraft engulfed in flames in a field outside the airport. Unfortunately, all six occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed.
The crash of the Cessna C550 plane occurred around 4:15 a.m. local time, causing approximately an acre of vegetation to burn before firefighters were able to contain the fire over an hour later.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight had departed from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas at 3:15 a.m. The FAA, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), is conducting an investigation into the crash.
Air traffic controllers had granted permission for the pilot to make a second landing attempt. However, during an instrument landing approach, the plane crashed approximately 500 feet short of the runway. The pilot, identified as Jared Newman, a 39-year-old resident of Temecula, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The NTSB will continue its investigation to determine the cause of the crash, including examining factors such as weather conditions and other potential contributing factors.