2 killed, 18 injured when small plane crashes into SoCal warehouse

On January 3, 2025By Littum

Two people were killed and 18 people were injured when a small plane crashed into a commercial warehouse near the Fullerton Municipal Airport and started a fire, officials said.

Security camera footage captured a fireball exploding as the plane made an impact with the roof of the facility sending thick clouds of dark smoke and bright orange flames into the sky.

Nearly 20 people were injured in the incident; A triage area was set up near the building, officials said.

The crash was reported in the 2300 block of Raymer Avenue at 2:09 p.m. Thursday, prompting the evacuation of more than 100 people from inside the building and the establishment of a nearby triage area to treat the injured, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

The crash occurred about half a mile away from the Fullerton airport, and the FAA identified the plane as a single-engine Van’s RV-10.

By 3:25 p.m., Fullerton Police Lt. Tim Kandler said the fire was out.

As of 5 p.m., 10 people had been taken to hospitals and eight had been treated and released at the scene, according to police spokeswoman Kristy Wells.

It was not clear whether the two people killed were inside the plane, she said.

Firefighters respond to a plane crash near the Fullerton Airport Thursday afternoon.

Data from flight tracker FlightAware shows a plane leaving the small airport at 14.07 before its flight ends at 2:09 p.m., which is when police said they received a report of a plane crash.

Helicopter footage recorded by KABC-TV showed dark plumes of smoke rising from the plane, which crashed on top of a large commercial warehouse. Several firefighters were on the scene working to extinguish the fire.

No information was immediately available about the cause of the accident.

Times staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report.