Plane crash in California: 2 dead and 19 injured after plane crashes into factory where 200 people working

The people who died were believed to have been on the plane, while those injured were inside the building. Police said the factory had around 200 people working in it when the plane crashed into the building on Thursday (2 January).

The deceased victims will be identified after officials have contacted the next of kin, the Fullerton Police Department said in a statement. Eleven people were taken to hospitals, while eight were treated and released at the scene, police said.

The plane crashed less than two minutes after taking off from the Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, located six miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. Security camera footage from Rucci Forged, a wheel manufacturer across the street, shows the plane was tilted on its side as it dove into the building, causing a fiery explosion and black plume of smoke.

Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled the blaze and evacuated surrounding businesses, Fullerton police spokesperson Kristy Wells said. The building struck by the plane was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door. There appeared to be sewing machines and textile stock inside.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident and identified the plane as a single-engine, four-seat Van’s RV-10. The National Transportation Safety Board said it also is investigating. The Fullerton City Council posted a statement on social media calling the crash a “solemn tragedy.”