SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
By Julie Watson
San Diego: A private jet carrying a music talent agent and five others hit a power line in foggy weather in a San Diego neighbourhood, slamming into a home and killing multiple people on the flight.
With jet fuel spilling down the streets, half a dozen vehicles caught fire while residents in the area of US Navy-owned housing were shaken awake just before 4am on Thursday, California time, by the thunderous crash and subsequent explosions.
Dave Shapiro, co-founder of Sound Talent Group, and two employees were among those killed, the music agency said in a statement.
Sound Talent Group has represented artists including American pop band Hanson, American singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton and the Canadian rock group Sum 41. Shapiro also owned Velocity Records.
“We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends. Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy,” the agency said in a statement.
Six people were on board the plane, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, but authorities believe there were no survivors as they continued to work to recover bodies.
No one on the ground was killed, officials said. Eight people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and non-life-threatening injuries, San Diego police officer Anthony Carrasco said.
San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy told a news conference that conditions were very foggy at the time of the crash. “You could barely see in front of you,” he said.
The aircraft appeared to strike at least one house, which was left with a charred and collapsed roof, and smash through half a dozen vehicles. The New York Times reported 10 homes were damaged and about 100 people were forced to evacuate to a local school.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said: “I can’t quite put words to describe what the scene looks like, but with the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific”.
Authorities working at the scene of the crash.Credit: AP
Christopher Moore, who lives one street over from the crash site, said he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang and saw smoke when they looked out the window.
They grabbed their two young children and ran out of the house. On their way out of the neighbourhood, they saw a car engulfed in flames.
“It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes you’ve just got to drop your head and get to safety,” he said.
The aircraft wreckage was scattered across a wide area, including fragments under the power lines and a section of wing on a road behind the homes, Elliot Simpson with the National Transportation Safety Board said.
The flight tracking site FlightAware listed a Cessna Citation jet that was scheduled to arrive at nearby Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport at 3.47am from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.
Airport officials said the plane had just made a fuelling stop in Wichita. The flight originated on Wednesday night from Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightAware. Teterboro Airport is about 10 kilometres from Manhattan and is frequently used by private and corporate jets.
The Murphy Canyon neighbourhood in eastern San Diego is made up of single-family homes and town homes. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport and Gillespie Field are nearby.
Authorities comb the wreckage and burned out vehicles close to the crash site.Credit: AP
The Federal Aviation Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation.
AP
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