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A plane crash in Southern California kills 6 people near site of earlier fatal crash
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Updated July 8, 2023 at 2:59 PM ET
Six people died after a plane crashed into a Southern California field early Saturday. It's the second deadly plane crash near the same airport within a week.
The business jet departed from the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas at about 3:15 a.m., according to FlightAware. The Cessna C550 crashed at about 4:15 a.m. near the French Valley Airport in Murrieta, Calif., in Riverside County, between San Diego and Los Angeles, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. During a second landing attempt, the aircraft crashed short of the airport, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Deputies responded to the crash and found the aircraft "fully engulfed in flames," the Riverside County Sherriff's Department said. Six people were located and pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims.
The blaze burned about one acre of vegetation before it was contained, said the Riverside County Fire Department.
The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the crash. Five NTSB investigators are expected to arrive on scene later Saturday.
Heavy fog covered the area on Saturday morning, KTLA reported, possibly indicating poor visibility for landing.
The crash comes just four days after one person died and three others were injured in a crash after taking off from the French Valley Airport.
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