‘Gigantic debris field’: Small plane crash sets homes, cars on fire

A small plane has crashed into part of a Californian city, killing multiple people, setting about 15 homes on fire, and destroying cars in “a gigantic debris field”.

Vehicles are damaged as authorities work the scene where a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighbourhood. Picture: AP/Gregory Bul.

A small plane crashed into a residential area of southern California in the middle of the night, smashing into houses, setting multiple cars ablaze and killing multiple people onboard.

TV footage showed rows of cars burned to blackened shells and at least one house suffering major destruction in the San Diego neighbourhood of low-rise homes.

The Federal Aviation Authority said a Cessna 550 crashed at around 3:45am on Thursday (8.45pm AET) local time.

Multiple people who were travelling on the private plane are dead, authorities said.

San Diego police and fire officials said the plane could hold eight to 10 people but they do not yet know the total of how many were on board.

The neighbourhood is close to the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.

“We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now.”

Vehicles are damaged as authorities work the scene where a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighbourhood. Picture: AP/Gregory Bul.

Authorities work the scene where a small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, setting several homes on fire and forcing evacuations along several blocks early Thursday, May 22, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Gregory Bull.

The crash prompted evacuations along several blocks early Thursday, May 22, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Gregory Bull.

He said “there is a direct hit to multiple homes” in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood and described “a gigantic debris field” in an area of densely populated homes and sweeping canyon views.

“When it hit the street, as the jet fuel went down it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street,” Eddy said.

“You can see that every singe car was burning down both sides of the street.”

He added that authorities will be investigating whether the plane hit a power line.

No one on the ground was injured, he said.

Investigators look through the site ehere a small plane crashed into San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. Picture: Sandy Huffaker / AFP)

San Diego Police help evacuate a dog from a residence after a Cessna plane crashed in the Murphy Canyon area of San Diego, California, on May 22, 2025. Picture: Sandy Huffaker / AFP.

The San Diego Police Department earlier said it was “responding to a plane crash” and evacuated three streets, while advising the public to call authorities if coming across debris or “smell jet fuel.”

San Diego officials haven’t released details about the plane that crashed but said it was a flight coming in from the Midwest.

– With AFP

Originally published as ‘Gigantic debris field’: Small plane crash sets homes, cars on fire