UNITED STATES NEWS

Navy contractor jet was on fire before deadly California crash, federal report says

May 26, 2023, 7:12 PM | Updated: 8:32 pm

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Navy contractor’s aircraft caught fire before it crashed off the California coast earlier this month, killing three people on board, federal investigators said Friday.

The twin-engine Gates Learjet 36A plunged into the Pacific Ocean near San Clemente Island on May 10 while trying to make an emergency landing at a Navy airfield there, according to a preliminary investigative report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The wreckage of the plane was found underwater but the two pilots and additional crew member — all civilians — haven’t been found and are presumed dead, the report said.

The jet was one of two that took off from Point Mugu Naval Air Station in Oxnard and headed south towards San Clemente Island, which is owned by the Navy and is west of San Diego. They were going to take part in training exercises with the Navy.

Shortly after arriving at the exercise site, the crew in the first plane, which was leading, radioed that they smelled an odor in the cabin and the crew of the plane behind radioed that they saw white or gray smoke or gas coming from the left side of the cabin, along with some kind of liquid trailing the jet, according to the NTSB report.

“At this point the lead airplane was not maintaining heading or altitude,” the report said.

The crew of the second plane then saw flames coming from around the rear equipment door of the first aircraft and told the crew to declare an emergency.

The troubled plane planned to land at an auxiliary Navy airfield on San Clemente Island and the other jet maneuvered in front to lead it to the field, the report said.

However, contact was lost as the jets descended.

Broadcast data from the first airplane showed that it made a series of descending turns and was at an altitude of 1,338 feet (408 meters) and about a half-mile (less than a kilometer) from the island when the information stopped, according to the report.

The Learjet’s wreckage was located a mile (1.6 kilometers) offshore in about 300 feet (91 meters) of water, and some of the debris showed evidence of a fire before the crash, the report said.

The report didn’t mention a possible cause for the fire or the crash.

United States News

A sign marks a roadside rest stop that has been made to look like the historic security gate that a...

Associated Press

Birthplace of the atomic bomb braces for its biggest mission since the top-secret Manhattan Project

Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government’s top-secret Manhattan Project.

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Suspect arrested after shooting at the Oklahoma State Fair injures 1, police say

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — One person was injured when shots were fired during an argument between two groups of people at the Oklahoma State Fair on Saturday, sending a crowd of people running for safety, police said. One person was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon after the evening shooting, Oklahoma […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles dies after a motorcycle crash in Nashville. He was 29

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles died Saturday after a motorcycle crash in Nashville, according to police. He was 29. The one-time hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks drove his motorcycle through a stop sign early Saturday and hit the driver’s side of an SUV, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Hazing lawsuit filed against University of Alabama fraternity

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A student and his parents have filed a lawsuit against a University of Alabama fraternity, saying he suffered a traumatic brain injury while being hazed as a fraternity pledge earlier this year. The lawsuit filed last week accuses Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and others associated with it of fraud, negligence and […]

5 hours ago

This illustration provided by NASA depicts the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at the asteroid Bennu. On Wedn...

Associated Press

NASA recovers asteroid samples in largest haul of material from beyond the moon

NASA’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey.

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Louisiana man who fled attempted murder trial captured after 32 years on the run

ARCADIA, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man who fled his 1991 trial for attempted murder has been arrested more than three decades later after authorities found him hiding in Mexico, authorities said. Greg Lawson, 63, was brought back to the United States on Thursday after being located in Mexico, the FBI said. Lawson was accused […]

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Ignite Digital

How to unlock the power of digital marketing for Phoenix businesses

All businesses around the Valley hopes to maximize their ROI with current customers and secure a greater market share in the digital sphere.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

Navy contractor jet was on fire before deadly California crash, federal report says