Tragedy struck as a small jet carrying six individuals onboard met with a fatal incident near a Los Angeles airport. Local and federal authorities have confirmed that all Cessna C550 business jet passengers lost their lives when the aircraft crashed and subsequently caught fire.
The ill-fated journey originated from Las Vegas and ended tragically near French Valley Airport in Riverside County, approximately 85 miles (137 km) south of Los Angeles.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration's statement, the crash occurred at around 4:15 a.m. on Saturday (July 08).
During a news briefing, Elliott Simpson, an aviation investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, revealed that all the individuals who tragically lost their lives in the plane crash were adults.
The aircraft, a privately-owned plane, crashed a mere 300 feet away from the runway at the small airport. Simpson explained that the crash transpired while the plane was attempting an instrument landing, coinciding with the presence of a marine layer weather phenomenon that had settled over the area.
According to Simpson, the prevailing conditions at the time of the crash seemed to meet the minimum requirements for a landing at the airport.
Tragically, this incident occurred just days after another crash near the same airport on July 4.
In that previous incident, a small aircraft carrying four individuals crashed, resulting in the death of the adult pilot and injuries to three juveniles.
Following the crash on Saturday, the aircraft caught fire, with flames engulfing everything except the tail section, as described by Simpson.
Aerial footage captured by local media revealed a field marred by charred debris in the shape of a small aircraft, creating a blackened area across the road from the airfield.
According to radar data obtained from the flight tracking website FlightAware, only a single business jet was recorded travelling from Las Vegas to French Valley during the specified time. The aircraft in question was observed circling near the field before initiating its descent.
Upon receiving the crash report, the sheriff's office in Riverside County, where French Valley Airport is situated, dispatched officials to the scene. They discovered an aircraft fully engulfed in flames in a field, and sadly, all six occupants were pronounced deceased on-site.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will continue to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash. Simpson stated that additional findings are anticipated within the next two weeks, while refraining from disclosing the names of the deceased individuals.