At least 2 dead, 8 injured after small plane crashes in San Diego military community amid foggy weather

According to the FOX Forecast Center, visibility in the area dropped to about a half-mile due to low clouds and fog. At least two people died in the crash and eight others were injured.

SAN DIEGO – At least 2 people are dead after a small plane crashed in a San Diego neighborhood early Thursday morning, authorities said. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene just before 4 a.m. PT in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood just off Interstate 15 near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.

"All the fatalities look to be from the plane," said San Diego Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy, as his department works with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine how many people were on board at the time.

San Diego police confirmed there are at least two dead and eight people injured in the plane crash. 

Authorities are working to determine whether the Cessna 550 struck a pole before crashing into a home. No one in the community was severely injured or taken to the hospital. Two people received immediate medical attention on-site. More than 10 surrounding houses also sustained damage. 

The Murphy Canyon neighborhood is one of the largest military housing units in the world, according to Captain Bob Heely, the commanding officer of Naval Base San Diego.

The San Diego Police Department urged the public to avoid the area. Residents on neighboring streets have been evacuated as a precaution. A temporary evacuation site has been established at a nearby elementary school. According to police, nearly 100 people were evacuated.

Evacuations remain in place on Thursday afternoon.

The National Transportation Security Board is sending investigators to the scene. 

Anyone who finds debris or jet fuel is asked to call 619-531-2000.

"I can’t quite put words to describe what this scene looks like," San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said. "But with the jet fuel going down the street and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see."

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Firefighters work the site where a small plane crashed into a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

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A home is partially destroyed where a small plane crashed into a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

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Investigators look through the site where a small plane crashed into a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

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Investigators look through the site where a small plane crashed into a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025. (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

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A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood Thursday morning in the area of Murphy Canyon, according to police. (KSWB)

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A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood Thursday morning in the area of Murphy Canyon, according to police. (KSWB)

Home security footage captured fire lighting up the dark sky in the Tierrasanta area after the crash. 

"It doesn’t show the aircraft, but gives an idea of how dense the fog is as my camera tried to track the water particles, and provides a time stamp," Rene Mello wrote on social media. "Prayers to all those involved."

According to the FOX Forecast Center, visibility in the area dropped to about a half-mile due to low clouds and fog.