A private jet carrying seven people crashed on landing near a Central Valley airport on Tuesday morning, and everyone on board walked away without major injuries.
The Cessna 560XL went down in a field at the corner of Newcomb and Teapot Dome near Porterville Municipal Airport around 11:45 a.m. Local time, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft had departed earlier that day from Oakland International Airport, flight records show.
Crews from the Porterville Fire Department arrived to find six passengers had already exited the aircraft on their own.
“When crews arrived on scene, six passengers had already exited the aircraft,” the fire department said in a statement.
Fire crews then worked alongside the pilots and other emergency personnel to safely secure the aircraft’s power sources. The seventh person on board, presumably one of the pilots, was also able to leave the plane without assistance.
The Porterville Police Department confirmed that everyone inside the plane was able to safely get out of the aircraft with “no major injuries” reported. Wild photos showed the jet on its belly, with the nose of the aircraft appearing damaged.
The FAA noted that seven people were on board at the time of the crash. Officials said they do not know what caused the incident and an investigation is underway.
“A Cessna 560XL crashed while landing at Porterville Municipal Airport in California around 11:45 a.m. Local time on Tuesday, Sept. 1,” the FAA statement read.
“Seven people were on board. The FAA will investigate.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive to conduct its own investigation into the cause of the crash. Authorities cautioned people to avoid the area in the immediate future as investigators do their work at the scene.
“Please avoid the area for the next several days as the NTSB arrives to conduct its investigation,” the fire department said.
Residents were also told to expect delays and road closures in connection to the crash as the examination of the aircraft and surrounding area continues.
The FAA and NTSB investigations are ongoing.
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