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Investigation Continues Into Business Jet Crash In Riverside County
Location of fatal plane crash early Saturday in Riverside County.
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Courtesy Calfire/Riverside County Fire Dept.
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Topline:
A small plane carrying six people crashed in a field at around 4:15 a.m. in Riverside County on Saturday. All aboard were killed.
The details: The plane, a Cessna C550 business jet, took off from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and crashed near the French Valley Airport in Murrieta. The crash ignited a fire in the area, which was quickly contained after burning about an acre of brush.
The Riverside County coroner's office has identified all 6 victims.
What investigators are saying so far: Officials are still investigating the crash, say heavy fog might have played a factor. The plane's pilot attempted two landings before the crash.
"The pilot reported to air traffic control that he was going to perform a missed approach, which generally happens when the pilot can't see the runway," said Eliott Simpson of the NTSB at a press conference Saturday.
The backstory: This is the second time in the past week a plane has crashed near the French Valley Airport. On Tuesday, a pilot was killed when a Cessna 172 crashed just after takeoff.
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