A small private jet with a seating capacity of 10 went down into flames near San Diego, California, shortly after 7 pm on Monday, December 27. The Learjet 35A exploded after crashing into a power line and smashed onto a road in San Diego leaving more than 2,500 residents in dark without power. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident to establish a cause behind the crash. No survivors on board were reported. It is not clear, however, if the crash caused any casualties on the ground.
According to FlightAware.com, the private jet was owned by Med Jet LLC of El Cajon, an air ambulance company. Fire Chief Don Butz informed reporters that there was very little left of the aircraft and that they weren't able to find any survivors.
A chilling audio record of the pilot moments before the plane crash has also surfaced on social media. The audio entails the final minute conversation between the pilot and the air traffic controller. In the audio obtained by the Times of San Diego, the air traffic controller at Gillespie Field in El Cajon is heard clearing the plane for landing on Runway 17.
Who was on board the private jet?
According to FAA, four people were aboard the jet, who had taken off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County. The people were reported to be on a business trip. None of them survived the crash. The identities of the deceased were not clear as of Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for John Wayne Airport in Orange County informed that the jet took off at 6:56 pm on Monday. Hardly 20 minutes in the air, the jet crashed in the area of Pepper Drive and North 2nd Street, at around 7.15 pm, DailyMail reported.
'Oh S**t! Oh S**t!'
The audio capturing the final conversation between the pilot and the air traffic controller entails the horror of the pilot as the plane went down. The pilot, after getting clearance to land on Runway 17, asked to land on Runway 27 instead. The controller approved the request but something went horribly wrong as the pilot was heard screaming, "Oh s**t! Oh s**t! No," followed by a loud noise, and then everything went silent.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is assisting the FAA in the investigation.
