The investigation continues Sunday into the crash of a Cessna business jet that killed six people on board near French Valley Airport, the second fatal crash near the airport in four days.
The Riverside County Fire Department said the accident was reported at 4:15 a.m. Saturday near Auld and Briggs roads. Deputies found the aircraft completely engulfed in flames in a field. Six passengers were declared dead at the scene.
They were identified Saturday night by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office as follows:
- Reese Linders, 25, of Rancho Palos Verdes;
- Lindsey Gleich, 31, of Huntington Beach;
- Manuel Vargas Regalado, 32, of Temecula;
- Abigail Tellez Vargas, 33, of Murrieta;
- Ibrahim Razek, 46, of Temecula.
- Alma Razek, 51, of Temecula.
The burning plane sparked a one-acre wildfire that was brought under control at 5:35 a.m., according to Cal Fire Riverside.
The flight took off from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, according to FAA spokeswoman Mina Kaji.
Shortly before the plane hit land, a blanket of sea covered the low-visibility area, said Elliot Simpson of the National Transportation Safety Board.
“The pilot has informed air traffic control that he is going to follow a missed approach, which is usually the case when the pilot cannot see the runway,” Simpson said in a news conference on Saturday night.
A Cessna Citation C550 business jet crashed 500 feet from the original landing strip, and most of the plane, except for the tail, was engulfed in flames.
The NTSB planned to spend perhaps two days investigating the scene with representatives from the FAA and Cessna.
Simpson said the initial report was expected within 14 working days and a final report was expected within 12 to 18 months.
According to Simpson, the person in the pilot’s seat was a certified commercial pilot. No additional information was provided about the victims.
On July 4, a student pilot was killed and three others injured when a Cessna 172 crashed as it was leaving the airport. This incident is still under investigation.
