The crash happened in the Orange County city of Fullerton, Fullerton police spokesperson Kirsty Wells said.
Active Investigation Update:— Fullerton PD (@FPDPIO) There are two confirmed fatalities, ten individuals were transported to area hospitals for treatment and eight individuals were treated and released on scene. The investigation is on going. https://t.co/CiLra4HYFvJanuary 3, 2025
Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled a blaze that broke out, and evacuated surrounding businesses, Wells said.
The fire damaged the warehouse, which appeared to contain sewing machines and textile stock. The building was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door.
Congressman Lou Correa, who represents the area of Orange County, about 40km south of Los Angeles, said the building that was struck is a furniture manufacturing business.
In a post on X, Correa said at least a dozen of the victims are factory workers.
A small plane crashed into a furniture manufacturing building in Fullerton in our district. At least a dozen workers injured hurt. Passengers' status unknown.— Rep. Lou Correa (@RepLouCorrea) January 2, 2025
Aerial photos of the scene show parts of the plane inside the building.
Ten people were taken to the hospital, while eight were treated and released at the scene, police said.
The plane crash on the roof of a manufacturing building left a gaping hole. (AP PHOTO)
The flight-tracking website FlightAware showed a four-seat, single-engine aircraft crashed about a minute after takeoff.
Security camera footage from Rucci Forge, a wheel manufacturer across the street, showed a fiery explosion and a large plume of black smoke as the plane appeared to dive into the building tilted on its side.
Fullerton is a city of about 140,000 people, southeast of Los Angeles.