Summary

  • At least two people have died in a small plane crash in a residential area of San Diego, local authorities say

  • Eight people suffered minor injuries and multiple homes have been destroyed

  • Authorities describe arriving on scene to a street full of cars on fire after the private aircraft went down on Thursday morning

  • "There's plane everywhere," San Diego Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy said, describing the enormous field of debris

  • Almost 100 people have been evacuated from the area in Murphy Canyon, police say

Small plane crashes in San Diego suburb damaging several homes

Live Reporting

Edited by Jacqueline Howard in Washington DC

  1. Police warn people to avoid area

    San Diego's Fire and Rescue Service says it had received an emergency call at 03:47 (10:47 GMT) and units arrived at the site six minutes later.

    The police department says it's responding to the crash, and is warning people to "avoid the area while crews work".

    Posting on X, the SDPD says evacuations are in place for three streets near the crash site, a road is closed, and two schools will be closed today.

    It's also issued a warning for the public to get in touch if they smell jet fuel or find debris.

  2. What we know and don't know about the San Diego plane crash

    We're still learning more about Thursday morning's plane crash in San Diego. Here's what we know so far:

    • A small plane crashed into San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighbourhood during foggy weather early on Thursday, local authorities say
    • The crash has set about 15 homes on fire and have forced others along several blocks to evacuate
    • In a news conference, Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy says there is "jet fuel all over the place" and that the main goal for authorities is to search all the homes and get people to safety
    • Eddy adds that "there is a direct hit to multiple homes"
    • It is not known so far whether any one was injured, or who was aboard the plane
    • The small plane was a Cessna 550 aircraft, says the Federal Aviation Administration. That plane model can carry six to eight people

  3. Small plane crashes into San Diego neighbourhood
    Breaking

    A small plane has crashed into a residential area of San Diego, setting several homes and cars on fire.

    The public have been told to avoid the area in southern California, which is close to a local airport.

    This is a breaking news story and we're working to gather more information, so stay with us.