image: CBSLA
A Cessna Citation 525A (CJ2) that crashed into a hangar at Santa Monica Airport at 6:20 p.m. on Sunday was engulfed in flames by the time emergency crews arrived, Santa Monica Fire Department Capt. John Nevandro told reporters on the scene. The crash was “unsurvivable,” he said. “The building actually collapsed and wrapped itself around the plane,” he said, making it impossible for rescuers to reach the cabin. Local news reports said the airplane had landed normally when a tire blew out and the jet veered off the right side of the runway and into the hangar. Shortly afterward, witnesses said, there were flames and then several large explosions. The jet had departed from Hailey, Idaho, close to Sun Valley, but it is not yet clear how many passengers were on board or who was flying the airplane. The airplane can seat up to eight, including the pilot.
There may have been other airplanes and equipment in the hangar that contributed to feeding the fire, according to the local CBS affiliate. The jet was manufactured in 2003 and is registered to an address in Malibu. The corporate owner listed on FAA records is Creative Real Estate Exchange, based in Birmingham, Ala., and Atlanta. The NTSB is investigating.
