Plane crash kills 2, burns homes in California neighborhood

SANTEE, Calif. – A twin-engine level that killed astatine slightest 2 radical and near a swath of demolition successful a San Diego suburb nose-dived into the crushed aft repeated warnings that it was flying dangerously low, according to a recording.

The Cessna 340 smashed into a UPS van, sidesplitting the driver, and past deed houses conscionable aft noon Monday successful Santee, a suburb of 50,000 people. The aviator besides is believed to person died, and astatine slightest 2 radical connected the crushed were hurt, including a pistillate who was helped retired the model of a burning location by neighbors.

An researcher from the National Transportation Safety Board was expected to beryllium astatine the country Tuesday morning, according to an bureau tweet.

The level was heading successful to onshore astatine Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport successful San Diego erstwhile it crashed. Shortly before, erstwhile the level was astir a half-mile from the runway, an aerial postulation controller alerted the aviator that the craft was excessively low.

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“Low altitude alert, ascent immediately, ascent the airplane,” the controller tells the aviator successful audio obtained by KSWB-TV.

The controller repeatedly urges the level to ascent to 5,000 feet, and erstwhile it remains astatine 1,500 feet warns: “You look to beryllium descending again, sir.”

KGTV-TV, an ABC affiliate, posted video the presumption said it received from a spectator showing the level arcing successful the entity and past plunging into the vicinity successful a burst of flames.

The level was owned by Dr. Sugata Das, who whitethorn person been piloting the craft and died successful the crash.

He worked astatine Yuma Regional Medical Center successful Arizona, the hospital's main aesculapian serviceman said.

Das, a licensed pilot, lived successful San Diego and commuted backmost and distant to Yuma, according to a website for a non-profit enactment helium served arsenic director. He leaves 2 young sons.

United Parcel Service of America Inc. confirmed 1 of its workers died, though the employee's sanction wasn't instantly released.

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People a artifact distant from the country said their homes shook from the thunderous crash.

Neighbors ran to assistance and helped rescue a mates believed to beryllium successful their 70s from 1 burning home.

Michael Keeley, 43, ran barefoot extracurricular and saw flames engulfing the UPS motortruck and a location connected the corner. He joined 2 neighbors astatine the burning location successful calling done an unfastened window.

With heavy fume wrong the location and flames licking the roof, Keeley reached done the model to drawback a woman’s limb and assistance her ascent out. Her forearms were burned, and her hairsbreadth was singed, helium said.

“I’m gladsome I didn’t person to spell wrong with my bare feet,” said Keeley, a probation officer.

At the aforesaid time, different neighbors knocked down the couple’s obstruction to rescue the woman’s hubby from the backyard.

Keeley said aft the mates escaped to the sidewalk, the pistillate pleaded for assistance for her canine that was believed to beryllium wrong the home.

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“She kept saying, ‘My puppy, my puppy,’ ” helium said.

But moments later, determination were explosions wrong the home. The radical helped the mates locomotion a harmless region distant until paramedics arrived.

Andrew Pelloth, 30, lives crossed the thoroughfare from the mates and was moving from location erstwhile helium heard a whirring and past a immense boom.

“My archetypal thought was that it was a meteorite coming down,” helium said. “I could perceive it falling, and past immoderate benignant of explosion.”

Pelloth looked extracurricular and saw the UPS motortruck connected fire. He grabbed a occurrence extinguisher and past joined different neighbors who pulled the boards disconnected the couple’s obstruction to rescue the woman’s husband.

Erik Huppert, 57, who ran down to assistance aft his location shook, said helium saw the antheral walking successful the backyard aft they pulled disconnected the boards.

“Both were decidedly successful shock, but astatine slightest they were alive,” said Huppert, a subject contractor.

No 1 was location astatine the different location that was destroyed, which sold lone a period ago, Pelloth said.

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Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat successful San Diego and Christopher Weber successful Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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