Plane hit power lines before crash that killed 4 in El Cajon

May 2024 · 1 minute read

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Federal investigators say a medical transport plane struck power lines in cloudy weather before it crashed last month in El Cajon, killing two flight nurses and two pilots.

The Learjet 35A crashed on Dec. 27 while preparing to land at Gillespie Field.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board says the weather was cloudy and misty when the plane struck power lines and then crashed into the yard of a home near the runway.

However, it didn't indicate an exact cause of the accident.

One home and one vehicle were reportedly damaged by debris from the crash, and hundreds of nearby SDG&E customers lost power to their homes.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office website identified the four occupants aboard the Learjet that crashed on Dec. 27 as 68-year-old Laurie Rose Gentz, of Escondido; 52-year-old Christina Elizabeth Ward; 45-year-old Douglas James Grande; and 67-year-old Julian Jorge Bugaj.

NTSB investigators plan to release a final report within 1 to 2 years. Authorities are asking anyone with photos or video of the crash to email witness@ntsb.gov.

RELATED COVERAGE

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7cnzNnq6sZpOkunC6xLCqaKSfmK6tec2erqxnlZbAtXnCqKynrKliu6bD0milrauSYr%2BmvM6rq2aonJa7pnnHoqtmqJ%2BssrN5y6Klnqtdl7Knu9GeZJyqkai1bsDHmqtmo5mhuaawjG1koqZdmrlur8Cjpqc%3D