A tragic aircraft accident unfolded early Thursday, May 22, 2025, when a small jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in San Diego, California, igniting fires and causing multiple fatalities. The incident occurred before dawn, leaving a trail of destruction across homes and vehicles in the Murphy Canyon area.
The Cessna 550, en route from Kansas and preparing to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, went down at approximately 3:45 a.m. local time. The crash resulted in fires that affected at least ten homes and engulfed cars parked on both sides of the street.
“There are more than one fatality that we found so far, but we’re waiting to get the registered numbers that were on the plane itself,” said San Diego’s Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy.
“When it hit the street, as the jet fuel went down, it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street,” he said, adding: “We have jet fuel all over the place.”
Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene, with explosions and flames erupting suddenly.
“I looked out the window and there was just flames everywhere,” said one resident, speaking to a local Fox affiliate.
“Then we heard the chain reaction of boom, boom, boom. And I’m like: ‘Whoa’.”
Video footage captured in the immediate aftermath revealed a fiery trail of jet fuel that linked multiple burning vehicles. Despite the magnitude of destruction, Eddy noted a remarkable outcome:
“Miraculously,” he said, “no one on the ground had been killed or seriously hurt.”
The crash occurred amid thick fog, compounding the danger and obscuring visibility. By daylight, the extent of the damage became clear — with collapsed rooftops, incinerated vehicles, and scorched trees visible across the neighborhood. The scent of jet fuel lingered as emergency crews combed the site for evidence and survivors.
The impacted neighborhood is primarily home to military personnel, as San Diego houses several key U.S. defense installations, including Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard facilities.
Zane Baker, a local high school senior, described how police went door-to-door to evacuate residents.
“I immediately just rushed to the front door, just looking outside, seeing what’s happening,” he told KTLA.
“I made sure all my siblings were awake and they were conscious and they were okay.”
Baker, identifying himself as a “Navy rat,” said the community was left in chaos.
“The entirety of our parking lots and other areas are completely filled. A lot of the entryways are blocked. People can’t get in or out. It’s a confusing mess.”
This incident adds to a troubling series of aviation-related events across the U.S. in recent months. These include air traffic control failures at Newark Airport and a mid-air collision over Washington in January involving a military helicopter and a civilian aircraft. Earlier this month, a separate crash involving a small plane in a Los Angeles suburb claimed two lives.
As investigations continue, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to provide further insights into the cause of the crash and assess any broader safety implications.
