Five people were killed when a twin-engine aircraft, whose pilot declared an emergency, crashed into a busy parking lot in Santa Ana near the South Coast Plaza shopping center the afternoon of Aug. 5.
According to a news report in The Orange County Register, all the fatalities were aboard the aircraft, a Cessna 414 that was on approach to John Wayne Airport. There were no survivors. No one on the ground sustained any injuries, and there was no fire.
Severe and Tragic Impact
Those who were in the neighborhood said that the impact sounded like a truck hitting the building. Fire officials who arrived at the scene said it was a miracle that no injuries were on the ground.
The private flight was reportedly heading for Atlantic Aviation, one of the airport’s fixed-base operators. These operators provide services such as hangar space and refueling for private aircraft.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the plane had reported an emergency. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident. The aircraft was registered to a San Francisco company and flew from Concord in the East Bay area.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of the deceased victims in this plane crash. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Ongoing Investigation
Based on news reports, it is unclear what caused this tragic crash. We know that the pilot reported an emergency. However, the federal investigation must answer a number of questions: What emergency did the pilot report? What caused the emergency?
Was there some product defect or mechanical malfunction that caused the incident? Was the pilot experienced?
Did the accident occur due to pilot error? It could take several months for these critical questions to be answered and for families of the victims to get some clear idea of what could have caused their loved ones’ deaths.
In such cases, several parties could be held liable for the victim’s wrongful deaths. For example, the manufacturer could be held accountable if a defective product caused this aviation accident.
If an aviation company was transporting the passengers, such an operator could be held accountable for the injuries and damages caused.
Families of victims in such cases would be well advised to contact an experienced Santa Ana wrongful death lawyer who will stay on top of the official investigation and help protect their legal rights.
Source: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/08/05/plane-crashes-in-santa-ana-parking-lot/
