Two Dead and 18 Injured After Plane Crashes Into California Building

A small plane crashed into a commercial building and started a fire in Southern California on Thursday, killing two people and injuring 18.

The flight-tracking website FlightAware shows a four-seat, single-engine aircraft crashed about a minute after takeoff, but it is unknown what type of plane it was or whether those injured were in the aircraft or on the ground, according to a Fullerton, California, police spokesperson.

Police received a report about the crash at around 2:09 p.m. local time, and firefighters fought the fire that erupted after the plane struck the building’s roof. The fire damaged the warehouse, which appeared to contain sewing machines and textile stock. The building was used by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door.

Ten people were hospitalized, and eight were treated at the scene and released. The police spokeswoman, Kristy Wells, said there were two confirmed deaths.

Security camera footage shows the plane hitting the building and exploding. The crash happened after the aircraft took off from Fullerton Municipal Airport, a small airport with two runways and a helipad. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. (Read more from “Two Dead and 18 Injured After Plane Crashes Into California Building” HERE)