Two people died after a small plane crashed and caught fire Monday evening at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
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A witness reported the crash at 5:21 p.m., said San Diego police Officer John Buttle.
Fire crews arrived to find the plane engulfed in flames on the runway at the airport in Kearny Mesa, north of Aero Drive and south of Balboa Avenue, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson Candace Hadley.
“In a situation like this, the first priority is doing any rescues if possible,” Hadley said. “But it was a quickly recognized at the scene that there was no potential for rescue, so they went straight into fire-fighting efforts.”
About 30 firefighters responded.
Buttle said two people on the plane died.
The Federal Aviation Administration has closed the airport, Hadley said. It was unclear when it will reopen.
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Efforts were underway to clean up fuel that spilled from the plane. About 30 firefighters responded.
“This is a tragic situation, and our hearts and thoughts go out to the families of victims of this,” Hadley said.
Clairemont Mesa resident Scott Schroeder was in the area, on the top floor of a nearby parking garage watching planes taking off and landing when he saw the plane hit the runway.
He said as the plane was coming in to land, it appeared to tilt to the right and the wing hit the ground. “I knew it was a hard hit,” he said.
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A few seconds later, he said, the front portion of the plane caught fire.
“I didn’t see any smoke from the plane before it hit,” he said.
Hadley said the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
