5 Killed In Small Plane Crash Near South Coast Plaza In Santa Ana
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Authorities say five people were killed when a twin-engine plane crashed in the parking lot of a busy shopping center in Southern California.
Firefighters say they received a call about 12:30 p.m. Sunday of the Cessna plane that had crash-landed in the 3800 block of S. Bristol Street, across the street from the South Coast Plaza.
When units arrived on scene, they determined that there were five adult fatalities in the plane. No one was injured on the ground. The victims were identified Sunday night but the families are still notifying loved ones so CBSLA is respecting their wishes not to reveal their identities.
Prior to crashing, the plane did collide with a car. The car's owner was inside a store shopping at the time of impact. Firefighters say the plane was in-bound to the John Wayne Airport.
Tony Bommarito, a spokesman for Orange County Fire Authority, said that John Wayne Airport operations were not affected and are still in service with no delays.
S. Bristol was expected to be closed from Sunflower to MacArthur probably through most of the night, Bommarito said. The crash was expected to be investigated by the NTSB and the FAA.
The 1973 Cessna was registered to Category III Aviation Corp. in San Francisco according to FAA records.
Bommarito confirmed that the plane departed from Buchanan Field Airport in Contra Costa County near Concord.
The pilot also owned the plane and he owned a real estate company in the Bay Area. He along with his four passengers had come to Southern California for a conference.
A records search shows that the pilot who was flying the plane had been flying for years. His license was just renewed last year.
