New Video Shows Moment Plane Fell From Sky, Exploded Near San Diego
By Jason Hall
October 12, 2021
New video shows the exact moment a twin-engine Cessna plane fell from the sky and burst into flames in a residential neighborshood near San Diego, which resulted in at least two deaths and multiple homes being destroyed.
NBC News reports the 13-second video was taken from a balcony during the crash on Monday (October 11) afternoon and shows the Cessna C340 plane making a nose dive before crashing to the ground and exploding in Santee, California.
Witnesses told NBC San Diego that the aircraft slid down Greencastle Street before its wing was clipped by a nearby UPS truck and the plane's fuselag dislodged, crashing through nearby homes in the area.
The UPS driver, who has not yet been identified by authorities, was killed in the crash, according to a statement shared by the company.
The pilot and owner of the plane, Dr. Sugata Das, a cardiologist from Arizona, also died in the crash, NBC News reports.
A family friend told NBC San Diego that Das worked at Yuma Regional Medical Center, but traveled back and forth from San Diego, where he resided until his death.
"As an outstanding cardiologist and dedicated family man, Dr. Das leaves a lasting legacy," the hospital said in a statement obtained by NBC News.
Santee Deputy Fire Chief Justin Matsushita said two homes were destroyed and multiple vehicles caught fire in relation to the plane crash on Monday.
A field of debris stretched beyond a block and 10 homes lost power while first responders worked to clear the wreckage on Monday.
Two other individuals were transported to local hospitals for injuries, Maatsushita confirmed.
It has not been determined whether anyone else was on the plane at the time of the crash, but Matsushita said "that the injuries are non-survivable for anyone" than may have been a passenger on the six-seater aircraft.
"Not to be too graphic, but it's a pretty brutal scene for our guys and we're trying to comb through it," Matsushita said via NBC News.