Pilot, Teen Daughter Killed In Plane Crash That Injured 19: Report

FULLERTON, CA —A father and his teen daughter were killed in the Orange County plane crash that injured 19 others, according to news outlets. Investigators are combing through the wreckage of the Fullerton furniture factory Friday, decimated after a small plane crashed near Fullerton Airport.

Eyewitness News has shared that both the pilot and his 16-year-old daughter died in the crash. Their identities have been withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Among the 19 injured factory workers, 11 were severely injured, and many burned, according to the Fullerton Fire Department, as the crash occurred in the middle of a workday at the busy Michael Nicholas Design Factory.

According to the FAA, the plane crashed at 1:54 p.m. during the takeoff phase from the Fullerton airport. It careened through the roof of the factory, located in the 2300 block of Raymer Avenue, immediately sparking a fire, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

The Fullerton Fire Department also responded to the scene with Fullerton and Orange County Fire Authority crews and worked to evacuate the building over the next half hour.

Video from the scene showed a gaping hole in the building's roof where the plane struck it and the chaos that followed as fire crews and paramedics assembled nearby to treat potential victims.

Eleven injured victims were taken to area hospitals, and the rest were treated on-scene, Kristy Wells of the Fullerton Police Department said. Though the injuries varied in severity, none was considered life-threatening, officials said.

It was not clear if the fatalities included the plane's pilot, Wells said.

ABC7 reported that the pilot and his teenage daughter were killed, but officials did not immediately confirm that. No identifications would

A Fullerton Police Department lieutenant said the airplane, which had taken off from Fullerton Airport minutes before, was returning to land at the airfield when it crashed. It was unclear how many people were aboard at the time of the crash, however, two people perished inside the plane, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.

The FAA only shared that the aircraft crashed due to unknown circumstances. The cause of the crash with the National Transportation Safety Board reported that the plane was a single-engine Van's Aircraft RV-10, known to be a "kit plane," according to numerous news outlets.

Officials later said the four-seater plane was built in 2011 and was a single-engine, aluminum aircraft. Its registration number was N8757R, registered to Reid Pascal of Huntington Beach. It was not known if Mr. Pascal was in the plane at the time of the crash.

In a news briefing later Thursday, Eliott Simpson, an investigator with the NTSB, said the plane was flying under "visual flight rules," with no requirement for a flight plan, and investigators did not yet know the pilot's destination. He said weather did not appear to be any factor in the crash.

"The airplane departed from Runway 24 at Fullerton about 2 p.m. this afternoon, climbed straight ahead to about 900 feet, and a short time later the pilot called for an immediate return to the airport," Simpson told reporters. "The tower controller then cleared the pilot to land on any runway. The airplane then appeared to make a 180-degree left turn and flew the left downwind for Runway 24 and ultimately crashed about 1,000 feet short of Runway 24. It struck a furniture building and immediately caught fire."

Simpson described the RV-10 as a "very popular airplane," with about 1,100 built.

He added that the NTSB's preliminary report would be completed within 14 days, and the final report would take 12 to 18 months.

According to Fullerton fire officials, the building was red-tagged and sustained significant damage from the crash and the resulting fire.

"Today, our community faced a tragic incident when an experimental aircraft crashed into an industrial building near the Fullerton Airport," the Fullerton City Council said in a statement.

"In the midst of this solemn tragedy, we are profoundly grateful to the first responders who acted with courage and unwavering dedication to protect lives and assist those in need. We deeply acknowledge the efforts of the Fullerton Police and Fire Departments, along with the Buena Park Police, La Habra Police, BNSF Police, Cal State Fullerton University Police, Brea Fire, Anaheim Fire, Huntington Beach Fire, and the Orange County Fire Authority."

Mayor Fred Jung also praised the first responders.

"Your extraordinary efforts remind us of the strength and resilience of our community. As we come together in the wake of this tragedy, the City of Fullerton is committed to providing support for all those affected and working with the agencies involved to uncover the details of this incident," he said.

"We are grateful for the strength of our community and the compassion we show one another in times of crisis. Together, we will move forward with resolve, care, and unity."

This is not the first time a plane has crashed near the Fullerton furniture business. In November, a single-engine plane crashed in the 2400 block of Artesia Avenue, also just east of Fullerton Airport. The two people aboard were moderately injured, and the plane also crashed while trying to land at the airport.

The Fullerton-based Michael Nicholas Furniture Designs factory, which manufactures furniture sold by major retailers such as Mathis Bros. and Ashley Home Furniture, was closed for an unknown time. Workers have brought flowers and cards to the scene, and one factory worker told ABC7 that he'd worked at the factory for five years, and long suspected this type of crash would happen.

"I've been working five years for this company and every day there's a plane going down here," Jerome Cruz told reporters. "I said 'One day it's going to fall down on our roof' and I think today (was) the day."

Workers are wondering what comes next with the severe damage to the factory. A call to the facility was not answered.