Four dead, two injured as plane hits homes in California

A small plane crashed into two homes and sparked a huge fire in Southern California.
Firefighters put out flames after a plane crashed in Riverside, Calif. | AP
Firefighters put out flames after a plane crashed in Riverside, Calif. | AP

RIVERSIDE, Calif.: The Latest on a small plane that crashed into homes in Southern California (all times local):

8 pm

Authorities say four people are dead and two are injured after a small plane crashed into two homes and sparked a huge fire in Southern California.

Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore says the Cessna's occupants, a husband, wife and three teenagers, were returning to San Jose on Monday after a weekend cheerleading conference at Disneyland.

Moore says one of the teenagers, a girl, was thrown from the plane on impact and had only minor injuries. She was able to talk to firefighters about what had happened as she was taken to a hospital.

An unconscious victim from one of the homes is in surgery.

Four bodies have been found in the wreckage, but firefighters have not sorted out exactly how many were from the plane and how many from the homes. They are looking for additional possible victims in the wreckage.

The two homes were destroyed, and there was minor damage to some neighboring homes.

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6:20 pm

Authorities say at least one person is dead and five are injured after a small plane crashed into two homes and sparked a huge fire in Southern California.

Riverside fire Capt. Tyler Reynolds says four people were aboard the plane and two victims were pulled from one of the houses that caught fire Monday. It wasn't immediately clear whether the dead person was from the house or the plane.

Two witnesses told TV stations that a woman crawled from one of the houses with her clothes on fire, saying she had been flying the plane.

The Cessna 310 crashed shortly after taking off from Riverside Municipal Airport headed for San Jose.

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5:40 pm

Officials say a small plane has crashed into two homes in Riverside.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the Cessna 310 aircraft crashed Monday evening shortly after taking off from Riverside Municipal Airport.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says the plane was headed for San Jose when it crashed about a half-mile northeast of the Riverside airport.

Riverside Police Lt. Charles Payne says the plane crashed into a residential neighborhood and collided with two homes.

Video from a news helicopter showed plane wreckage and at least one home engulfed in flames near the intersection of Central and Streeter Avenue. The video also appeared to show a person being loaded onto a stretcher and removed from the home.

Payne says residents in nearby homes were being evacuated and taken to a community center.

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The New Indian Express
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