Plane Crash Kills 4 In California

A twin-engine jet crashed and burst into flames at McClellan-Palomar Airport Tuesday, killing all four people on board, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The Cessna 560 Citation took off from an airport in Hailey, Idaho, and was landing at about 6:40 a.m. when it skidded off the end of the runway and hit a shack that held the airport's instrument landing system equipment, said Mike Fergus, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman in Seattle.

"All four on board were killed," he said. No one on the ground was hurt.

Television footage showed bright orange flames billowing from the aircraft.

Norman Boyd of Escondido said he saw the plane landing as he drove to work near the airport and could tell "the plane was in trouble."

"Its landing gear was up and it was going down really fast," Boyd told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It was heading toward the runway and the approaching speed was way beyond what it should be."

The road dipped, obscuring his view of the runway for a moment, and when he saw it again there was "fire and smoke at the far end," he said.

Boyd, who served in the Navy and worked on aircraft, said he observes takeoffs and landings daily on his way to and from work.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team to investigate the accident.

The airport 30 miles north of San Diego was closed after the crash. It serves private planes, business jets and two commuter airlines — America West Express and United Express, both of which operate turboprops out of the facility.

There was no immediate word on the identity of the victims.

The aircraft was registered to Goship Air LLC of Ketchum, Idaho, authorities said.

According to state incorporation records, Goship Air is owned by Kipp Nelson and Steve Shafran, both of Ketchum. Shafran was appointed this month to the Ketchum City Council and Nelson is an investment banker and a trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation.

Phone calls by the AP to the Sun Valley-area homes of both men were not immediately returned.