RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) – Four people died and two were injured when a small plane carrying a family returning from a cheerleading competition crashed into two Southern California homes and sparked a major fire Monday, authorities said.
A husband, wife and three teenagers were on the plane that had just taken off from Riverside Municipal Airport at 4:40 p.m. intending to return to San Jose after the weekend cheerleading event at Disneyland when it crashed in the residential neighborhood, Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore said.
One of the teenagers, a girl, was thrown from the plane on impact but had only minor injuries, Moore said. Three witnesses told TV stations she crawled from the home asking for help. She was able to talk to firefighters about what had happened as she was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, Moore said.
Firefighters entered one of the burning houses and pulled out an unconscious resident. That victim is in surgery at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino, Moore said.
Four bodies were found in the combined wreckage of the plane and the homes, but firefighters have not sorted out exactly how many were passengers and how many were residents. They are looking for additional possible victims in the wreckage.