By Julie Sharp
January 3, 2025 / 12:15 PM PST / KCAL News
Questions remain unanswered a day following a fatal airplane crash in Fullerton, as federal investigators work to determine what caused the small plane to go down.
A preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report confirmed Thursday’s information, that two people onboard the plane died while 11 others in the building where it crashed were seriously injured, and eight suffered minor injuries.
The warehouse building on Raymer Avenue, near Fullerton Municipal Airport remains red-tagged Friday as it sustained significant damage from both the crash and the resultant fire, according to Fullerton fire officials.
Aerial footage of Thursday’s accident showed a gaping hole in the roof of Michael Nicholas Designs as fire crews stood by, spraying water into and around the hole, as there were no visible signs of an airplane.
The crash happened around 2:15 p.m. and immediately sparked a fire which led to a building evacuation, Fullerton police said. Fire crews and paramedics assembled nearby to treat potential victims.
Witnesses recalled hearing a “loud noise” before running out of the building. Witness Javier Ruiz said he saw someone with what appeared to be burns across his body and clothes.
“His shirt was burned, his shoes were burned, his face,” Ruiz said. “It looked like something from a movie.”
Officials said the plane was built in 2011, and was a single-engine, aluminum aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board described the aircraft as an RV-10 “kit-built” plane, essentially an aircraft an owner can assemble and maintain.
“It’s a kit-built airplane,” NTSB investigator Elliott Simpson said. “It’s a very popular airplane … It’s a pretty standard airplane and it’s been flying for a long time.”
Authorities said the pilot took off from Fullerton Airport at about 2:00 p.m. and immediately climbed to 900 feet. A short time later, the pilot called for an immediate return to the airport. After receiving clearance to land on any runway, the airplane turned left toward one of the runways but crashed about 1000 feet short of the airport.
The identities of the deceased have not been released yet.
The NTSB’s preliminary report is expected to be complete within 14 days, with the final report coming in 12 to 18 months, officials said.
Julie SharpJulie Sharp is a digital producer at CBS Los Angeles. She is a South Bay native and majored in print journalism at Cal State University Long Beach.
