In Fullerton, California, a small plane crash on Thursday afternoon left two people dead and several others injured. The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. in the 2300 block of Raymer Avenue, creating chaos and prompting evacuations by both Fullerton and Orange County Fire Authority crews.
Authorities reported that the crash site was a furniture manufacturing building, which the plane struck while approaching the runway. After impact, the aircraft caught fire, sending huge clouds of smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away. Video from the scene revealed a large hole in the building’s roof, marking the spot where the plane came down.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moments following the crash. One worker inside the building shared how they saw a massive explosion on the ceiling. “Our boss started shouting, ‘Evacuate the building, everybody get out!’” the witness recounted.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the aircraft as a single-engine Van’s Aircraft RV-10. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the cause of the crash, which remains unclear. As of now, it’s also uncertain how many people were on board the plane when it went down.
By 5 p.m., officials confirmed two fatalities and 18 injuries, though the extent of those injuries hasn’t been disclosed.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first plane crash in the area in recent months. Back in November, another single-engine plane went down in the 2400 block of Artesia Avenue, not far from the Fullerton Airport. In that incident, the two people aboard survived with moderate injuries. Like Thursday’s crash, the November accident also happened as the plane was trying to land at the airport.
While investigations continue, the community is left shaken by this tragic event, with many seeking answers about what went wrong.