2 dead, 19 injured when plane crashes into Fullerton warehouse full of workers

Two people aboard a small plane were killed when their plane crashed into a commercial warehouse near Fullerton Municipal Airport, bursting into flames and injuring 19 people working at the facility, officials said.

Security camera footage captured a fireball that exploded Thursday afternoon when the plane hit the roof of the warehouse, sending thick clouds of dark smoke and bright orange flames into the sky.

Pre-crash sounds indicated that the flight suddenly went wrong.

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 the building and the establishment of a nearby triage area, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

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

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

Eleven people were taken to hospitals and eight were treated and released at the scene, according to Fullerton police.

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

The plane had just taken off from Fullerton Airport when the pilot announced that an immediate landing was required, according to audio from the air traffic control tower.

In the audio, the pilot initially says he wants to land on runway 6, prompting the air traffic controller to tell another aircraft to turn away from that area. The air traffic controller tells the pilot that either runway 6 or 24 is clear for landing.

The pilot changes his mind and says he will land on runway 24. Less than a minute later, a panicked gasp and an “Oh my God” can be heard before the pilot’s voice goes silent.

According to FAA records, the plane was registered to a Huntington Beach resident. It is unclear whether the person was involved in the accident.

Multiple agencies worked together to respond to the incident. They included the Fullerton Police and Fire Departments; Buena Park Police; La Habra Police; Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway police; Cal State Fullerton University Police; and fire crews from Brea, Anaheim and Huntington Beach, as well as the Orange County Fire Authority.

Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung thanked first responders for their help in a statement Thursday evening he issued on behalf of the City Council.

“As we come together in the wake of this tragedy, the City of Fullerton is committed to providing support to all those affected and working with the agencies involved to uncover the details of this incident,” Jung said. “We are grateful for the strength of our community and the compassion we show each other in times of crisis. Together we will move forward with determination, care and unity.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting an investigation into the accident.

No information was immediately available about the cause of the accident. The identities of the people killed will be released by the Orange County Coroner’s Office pending family notification, police said.

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

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.