3 die as plane, helicopter collide in fireballs over El Cajon
EL CAJON – Three people died when a small plane and helicopter collided in fireballs Wednesday near near El Cajon's Gillespie Field.
Witnesses reported seeing two bodies on the ground, believed to be from the helicopter. A third body was reported elsewhere, believed from the plane. Authorities confirmed three dead in the collision around 4:40 p.m., and said no injuries on the ground were reported.
The burning wreckage of a plane falls from the sky in this image shot by a resident from his back yard west of Harry Griffen Park.
Part of a burning wing fell onto the roof and then into the front yard of a house, igniting the roof and attic, said El Cajon Fire Chief Mike Scott. The house was unoccupied, and firefighters extinguished the flames.
The bulk of the helicopter fell, burning, into Harry Griffen Park in bordering La Mesa, where firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, he said.
A piece of wreckage that appeared to be part of a fuselage came to rest in the back yard of a home on Live Oak.Other debris from the incident appeared scattered over a half-mile-square area of El Cajon and La Mesa, 1½ miles south of Gillespie Field, a general aviation airport.
One aircraft involved in the collision was reported by knowledgeable witnesses to be a Robinson R22, a small helicopter commonly used for flight training and photography.
“I happened to look up and saw two balls of fire,” said Rod Jeter, a real estate broker who was driving nearby at the time of the collision. “I didn't see an explosion, first I thought maybe it was somebody's (toy) rocket, but then I said that's too big to be somebody's (toy),” Jeter said. “That's it, they both fell. The bigger one, I think, was the helicopter. They were already on fire before they hit (the ground). I've never seen anything like that before.”
Joe Delacruz was in the back yard of a friend's house on Hawthorne when the sound of a plane “popping, backfiring,” caused them to turn around and look up. “It sounded like the plane was sputtering, like it was having a hard time flying,” Delacruz said. The two then witnessed the collision. “I looked up and I saw the wing and the bulk of the aircraft coming down in flames,” Delacruz said. He said he also saw what appeared to be the bubble portion of the helicopter cockpit falling from the sky.
Another witness, a Grossmont High student, told reporters he watched part of an aircraft – which he took to be a helicopter – hit the ground, saw someone inside the wreckage and realized that person could not have survived.
I can confirm that neither aircraft involved was from the British owned school on Gillespie Field.
I was holding at 27R with my student waiting for IFR release when the collision happened, we saw the fireball and wreckage falling to the ground to the south of KSEE. It was outside of the left circuit although the collision seemed to be within the class delta of KSEE, I can't confirm that though.
Was extremely sad and disturbing. Condolences to the friends and family of those involved.
EDIT:
Local news has reported tonight that a C172 with a CFI and student onboard and a C182 with a solo pilot were the 2 aircraft involved, both aicraft also departed KSEE prior to the collision. This is what the local news tonight reported, how true it is we still don't know.
The San Diego Tribune has just corrected its online report.
Quote:
Many witnesses initially reported the collision to be between a small plane and a helicopter. One knowledgeable witness even identified the aircraft specifically as a Robinson R22, a small helicopter commonly used for flight training and photography. But authorities later said the collision involved two Cessna fixed-wing aircraft.
Having been badly (and embarrassingly) misquoted by the Tribune in an interview some years ago I'm not overly sympathetic to the paper but it seems the 'eye-witnesses' got it wrong. (To be entirely fair, it's not a bad newspaper.)
It may seem hard to believe that anyone can confuse a helicopter and a fixed-wing, but it's a good example of what often happens when witnesses make statements to the CAA.
FL
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; 9th Feb 2006 at 08:16.
Just heard from a friend in San Diego who is currently doing his ATPL course there with Scandinavian Aviation Academy, Vasteras. Two swedish students, one beeing a CFI, another training to be one, were kille killed in a mid air collision. Haven't found any more info about it.
I think they've had one like this before. Apparently the BRITE radar feed doesn't show the southern part of their airspace. VFR separation isn't provided by ATC in Class D so you need to see and avoid, probably more so as it's busy airspace, but ATC having radar coverage is always nice. It's easy to get complacent when you think ATC are watching you on the scopes, but it's not a guaranteed service and you need to look after yourself.
Three killed when two small planes collide in San Diego County
ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press
EL CAJON, Calif. - Federal investigators were working Thursday to determine what caused two small planes to collide mid-flight over this east San Diego suburb, killing three people on board and leaving wreckage strewn over a wide area.
The collision occurred about 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, said city spokeswoman Monica Zech. Fire officials said no one was injured on the ground.
Two people were aboard a plane that came crashing down in a park, El Cajon Fire Chief Mike Scott said. The other person killed was aboard a plane that landed in a home, igniting a small attic fire that was quickly extinguished. No one was inside the home, Scott said.
Bryce Segaux, an 18-year-old senior at Grossmont High School, was working in the school's auto shop when he saw a small plane sputter, lose altitude and crash into another aircraft.
"There was a big old fireball," Segaux said.
Driving to nearby Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa, Segaux said he saw two bodies among the wreckage.
Chris Rohan, 29, of El Cajon was walking his dog at the park when he heard a loud explosion. Rohan said he looked up and saw three or four pieces of flaming debris falling from the sky. A wing landed about a foot away from his car, he said.
"Everyone was panicking," Rohan said.
Authorities closed the park after the crash and cordoned off the scene. Investigators also restricted the area around the home where the second plane crashed. Several nearby residents were evacuated.
The National Transportation Safety Board was handling the investigation.
It was not immediately known where the planes originated or where they were headed.
Hi, all. First of all, condolences to all who are affected by this accident. I am planning to go to SAA flight training in march. Could anyone please provide some info about how this might affect the school, and future training programs. Besides, was there really an SAA plane involved in the accident? thx
Hi, all. First of all, condolences to all who are affected by this accident. I am planning to go to SAA flight training in march. Could anyone please provide some info about how this might affect the school, and future training programs. Besides, was there really an SAA plane involved in the accident? thx
R.I.P
A school "Svensk Pilotutbildning AB" that I'm studying at has had two accidents in a short period of time last year however with no loss of life. All pilot training stopped but then resumed at a normal rate after 1 or 2 weeks.
DESCRIPTION N9531B, A CESSNA C172 COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER ACFT, N759KE, A CESSNA C182, AT APPROXIMATELY 2300FT, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD N9531B AND THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD N759KE WERE FATALLY INJURED, BOTH ACFT WERE DESTROYED, 3 MILES SOUTH OF GILLESPIE FIELD, EL CAJON, CA
Mid-air San Diego - 3 killed
