Plane Hits Neighborhood Near RAL

Local authorities say three people onboard a Mooney M20C were killed Wednesday evening when their plane crashed in a residential area west of Los Angeles, CA.

The Associated Press reports the aircraft had just departed Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL) and impacted less than half-mile away. No one on the ground was hurt.

Witnesses said the pilot appeared to be attempting to land on a street, avoiding homes. The plane (file photo of type shown below, right) struck a palm tree and a car, however, and caught fire.

"I knew he wasn't going to make it," witness Steve Kiser told the Riverside Press-Enterprise. "It blew up and all the trees caught fire." Kiser added the plane sounded like it had engine trouble.

"The pilot did one heck of a job avoiding these homes and preventing anyone else from being hurt," added Riverside Fire Battalion Chief Mike Esparza.

The accident was the third in Riverside County in just over a month. As ANN reported, five people -- including one on the ground -- were lost in the January 20 midair collision of two Cessna aircraft over Corona, CA.

On Tuesday, three people were injured when their Lancair IV-P landing hard in a brush-covered canyon near French Valley Airport in Murrieta.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 591BB        Make/Model: MO20      Description: M20, M20A/B/C/D/E/F/G/J/L/R/S, M20K/M (T
  Date: 02/28/2008     Time: 0607

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: RIVERSIDE   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE TWO
  PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, RIVERSIDE, CA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: VFR

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: RIVERSIDE, CA  (WP21)                 Entry date: 02/28/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov