Multiple fatalities after small plane crashes in San Diego

(NewsNation) — A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighborhood on Thursday, setting several homes on fire and causing multiple fatalities, officials said. The exact number of fatalities is unknown, but authorities said they believe multiple people have been killed. The private plane originated in the Midwest, and it was unclear whether there was any communication from the pilot to the Federal Aviation Administration. One car fire was still burning late Thursday morning, with first responders working to put it out. The area was a military neighborhood, and nearly 100 people have been displaced by the crash. No one from the neighborhood was transported to the hospital. The Cessna 550, which can carry ten passengers, crashed near the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport around 3:45 a.m. local time, according to the FAA. At the time of the crash, the weather was foggy. “We have jet fuel all over the place,” Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now." Eddy said there was "a direct hit to multiple homes" in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood and described “a gigantic debris field" in a dense, packed area. The National Transportation Safety Board will handle the investigation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.