Six Killed in Plane Crash Near French Valley Airport in Murrieta

Tragedy struck again near French Valley Airport in Riverside County as a plane crash claimed the lives of six individuals early Saturday morning. The incident marks the second deadly crash to occur in the area within just four days.

The aircraft involved was identified as a Cessna 550, a turbo fan jet, which crashed and immediately burst into flames at approximately 4:16 a.m. local time. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, along with the Riverside County Fire Department, reported the crash via Twitter.

Authorities confirmed that all passengers on board were pronounced dead at the scene. As of Saturday afternoon, coroner's officials had not released any information regarding their identities or whether there were any survivors.

According to authorities, the ill-fated flight originated from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) listed Prestige Worldwide Flights of Imperial, California as the owner of the plane; however, attempts to contact company representatives for comment have been unsuccessful thus far.

Both FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators responded promptly to assess and gather evidence from the scene. In an official statement released by NTSB's media office, it was revealed that this tragic accident occurred during its second approach to land at French Valley Airport.

Eyewitnesses described foggy conditions enveloping the field where wreckage lay scattered just north of the runway on Saturday morning. Visibility before initial approach fell below required levels for instrument landing at that airport by one-eighth of a mile.

Due to the absence of a tower or air traffic control at French Valley Airport, pilots must rely on instruments for guidance but still need visual confirmation of the runway to land safely. Trescott explained that an instrument landing would have directed the plane to approximately 250 feet above ground level, at which point the pilot would have decided whether it was safe to proceed with landing.

Instead, the pilot aborted and circled around for a second attempt. The reasons behind this decision remain unclear at present. Trescott emphasized that if visibility had been poor during their first approach, diverting to another airport with better weather conditions could have been an alternative option.

NTSB spokeswoman Jennifer Gabris stated that no further information is currently available regarding this incident. A preliminary report is expected within 15 days.

This tragic event occurred just four days after another fatal crash near French Valley Airport where one person lost their life and three others sustained injuries when a single-engine Cessna 172 struck a building shortly after takeoff. Thankfully, no individuals on the ground were harmed in that incident according to county Fire Department officials.

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