Fatal Cessna Crash at San Diego Airport Kills Two Pilots

Two people died in a deadly airplane crash near San Diego, California, Monday afternoon. Thick black smoke billowed from the wreckage of a Cessna 172 at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. The scene was chaotic as flames consumed the aircraft following impact with the ground.

The FAA provided preliminary details to Fox News Digital. They stated the plane crashed while landing around 5:15 p.m. local time on Monday, Sept. 7. Two people were on board. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident. The NTSB leads the inquiry and plans to release further updates soon.

Investigators believe a go-around caused the disaster. A statement from the NTSB says preliminary information indicates the aircraft "impacted terrain on airport property" during that maneuver. A post-impact fire ensued immediately after contact with the ground. Officials define a go-around as an action that discontinues the landing approach to return the aircraft to altitude for another attempt at safe descent.

An NTSB investigator is currently en route to the scene. They expect to arrive this afternoon according to Tuesday's statement. Once on site, the investigator will begin documenting the scene and examining the damaged aircraft. The plane will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation. Reports suggest the crash happened after the plane's "LEFT WING DIPPED" causing it to stall. The aircraft subsequently appeared to spin into the ground before stopping completely.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department crew members faced a harrowing situation on the tarmac. Brian Raines told reporters that the aircraft had been "heavily damaged." Responders were unable to extract victims from the burning shell because of the intense heat and flames. Their primary focus remained quenching the raging fire to prevent it from spreading further.

Candace Hadley, public information officer for San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, addressed the media on Wednesday. She said their hearts and thoughts go out to the crash victims' families. More than 30 department personnel responded to the incident that day. Fox News Digital reached out to the San Diego Police Department on Wednesday for additional comments regarding this tragedy.