Emergency crews respond to aircraft fire after Cessna crash in San Diego
Cessna crash at San Diego airport kills two; fire crews contain fire and fuel leak.
Event / Disaster
Montgomery-Gibbs Airport Crash
A Cessna aircraft crashed at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego on September 8, 2026, resulting in two fatalities. The plane caught fire upon impact. Emergency responders extinguished the fire and addressed a fuel leak, but were unable to rescue the two occupants from the heavily damaged aircraft. The FAA closed the airport for emergency operations while the NTSB investigates.
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2026-09-08 to 2026-11-07 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 8 Sept, 06:36 UTC
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What happened
Two people killed in San Diego airport plane crash
Two unidentified people died in the Cessna crash at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. The aircraft was heavily damaged and fire rescue crews were unable to extricate the victims from the wreckage.
Fire crews extinguish aircraft fire and address fuel leak
About 30 fire rescue personnel responded to the crash. By 7 p.m., crews had extinguished the main fire but continued addressing an active fuel leak from the aircraft. A contractor was dispatched to properly clean up the jet fuel spill.
Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport closed following plane crash
The Federal Aviation Administration immediately closed Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport to emergency personnel to respond to the crash and extinguish the fire. The airport's reopening depends on investigation requirements by the National Transportation Safety Board and federal officials.
Cessna plane crashes at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego
A Cessna aircraft crashed and caught fire at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in Kearny Mesa, San Diego on Monday evening around 5:20 p.m. The airport serves general aviation aircraft including private, corporate, charter, air ambulance, law enforcement, fire rescue, flight training and light cargo operations.
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