A small plane crashed into a commercial building near Fullerton Municipal Airport, California, on Thursday afternoon, resulting in at least two fatalities and 18 injuries, authorities confirmed.
The crash occurred approximately 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
“There are two confirmed fatalities,” the Fullerton Police Department announced on X (formerly Twitter).
Among the injured, 10 were hospitalized while eight received treatment at the scene. Police have yet to confirm whether the deceased were onboard the plane or inside the building at the time of the crash, according to local station KTLA.
Eyewitness Accounts and Initial Observations
Television footage revealed significant damage, with a large hole in the roof of the building and smoke billowing out.
Jerome Cruz, a worker who witnessed the crash, described the scene: “All we hear is like a loud noise, boom, and that’s it. Then we started running out of the building,” he told CBS News.
Plane Details and Ongoing Investigation
The aircraft involved was identified as a single-engine Van’s RV-10, a four-seater model, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency has launched an investigation into the crash.
This incident follows another aviation mishap near Fullerton Municipal Airport in November, which left two people injured.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the circumstances that led to Thursday’s crash.
