Two individuals lost their lives and 19 others were injured on Thursday when a small private plane crashed through the roof of a large furniture manufacturing facility in Southern California, where at least 200 people were working, according to police reports.
The deceased are believed to have been on the plane, while the injured were inside the building. The identities of the victims will be confirmed once officials contact their next of kin, stated the Fullerton Police Department.
Eleven people were transported to hospitals, while eight were treated and released at the scene, police reported. Injuries ranged from minor to very serious, said Michael Micham, Deputy Chief of Fire Operations in Fullerton.
Eliot Simpson, an aviation accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, mentioned that the pilot requested an immediate return to the airport at an altitude of about 274 meters, and the tower confirmed that he could land right away. The pilot did not explain the need for the return.
The plane crashed less than two minutes after taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, located about 10 kilometers from Disneyland, according to data from the flight tracking site FlightAware. The accident occurred approximately 305 meters from runway 24, Simpson noted.
Source: apnews.