Plane Collision in San Diego Kills Five

Two small planes attempting to land at a San Diego airport collided in mid-air, leaving five confirmed fatalities. The Associated Press reported, citing Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, Ian Gregor.

The accident, which occurred at around 11 a.m. Pacific time, involved a twin-engine Sabreliner and a single-engine Cessna 172. Both were headed to the Brown Field Municipal Airport at Otay Mesa, near the U.S. border to Mexico.

The publication said that the Sabreliner carried four passengers and was commissioned to BAE Systems. The military contractor said in a statement, as cited in the report, that the passengers aboard the plane were employees.

Meanwhile, Andrew Swick from the National Transportation Safety Board said that the Cessna plane pilot was on a cross-country tour. It is unclear if the pilot was alone or if he had passengers.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Division Chief Nick Schuler was quoted by the Chicago Tribune as saying that the two small planes were found in “multiple pieces” and that there were debris found at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.

Schuler added that the incident seems to be a “very violent crash.”

10News reported, citing an unnamed California Highway Patrol officer, that it is possible that one of the aircrafts hit the power lines situated near the R.J. Donovan Correction Center.

The Times of San Diego, on the other hand, reported that a first-responder from the California Highway Patrol told dispatchers that debris were “scattered everywhere” and immediately requested for assistance from the FAA.

Schuler also reportedly said that responders found wreckage from the crash less than a mile apart.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department posted a photo on its official Twitter account that the mid-air collision sparked a small brush fire.

The Los Angeles Times added that the brushfire spanned two acres. However, it was extinguished right away and no structures were reported as damaged. Times of San Diego said the fire was out by 1 p.m.

Aside from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, California Highway Patrol and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Chula Vista Fire Department also lend a helping hand during the incident. A firefighter from Chula Vista was brought to the hospital after reportedly suffering from heat-related issues.

AP added that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board plan to launch an investigation about the incident.

Described as a “busy general aviation airport,” Brown Field is located 1.5 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border and serves different types of general aviation aircrafts, according to its website.