Two people lost their lives, and 18 others were injured on Thursday after a small plane crashed into a furniture manufacturing building in Fullerton, Southern California.
The crash occurred less than two minutes after the aircraft took off from Fullerton Municipal Airport, located just six miles from Disneyland.
The identities of the deceased and whether they were in the plane or on the ground remain unclear, according to Kristy Wells, a spokesperson for the Fullerton Police Department.
The plane, identified as a single-engine Van’s RV-10, struck the roof of the Michael Nicholas Designs building, which houses a furniture upholstery business with approximately 200 workers present at the time. Security footage showed the aircraft tilted on its side before impact, triggering a fiery explosion and thick black smoke.
Emergency responders swiftly evacuated surrounding businesses and battled the ensuing blaze. Ten individuals were hospitalized, while eight others received treatment on-site.
Chris Villalobos, an airport operations worker, stated that the pilot had reported an emergency shortly after takeoff, intending to return to the airport. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified, and investigations are ongoing. Fullerton, a city of 140,000 residents, has witnessed other aviation incidents near its airport, including a plane crash in November 2024 that resulted in moderate injuries.
