Two people died and 19 others were injured after a small plane crashed through the roof of a furniture manufacturing building near Fullerton Municipal Airport in Orange County, Southern California, on Thursday.

Police and firefighters responded to the crash at the 2300 block of Raymer Avenue at around 2:09 p.m. local time, according to a Jan. 2 statement posted on social media by the Fullerton Police Department.

Police said the plane, a Van’s RV-10 experimental aircraft, was engulfed in flames inside the commercial building.

Upon arrival, authorities immediately began evacuating people from the surrounding businesses due to the active fire inside, police said.

Multiple teams of firefighters, including those from the Fullerton Fire Department and the Orange County Fire Authority, put out the blaze and launched rescue efforts.

The 19 people who were injured were working inside the building at the time the plane crash occurred, police said.

In total, 11 people were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment while eight were treated at the scene.

“There are two confirmed casualties, both of whom are believed to have been in the aircraft at the time of the crash,” police said.

The identity of the deceased will be released by the Orange County Coroner’s Office after next of kin have been notified, according to the police department.

A Van’s RV-10 is a single-engine plane that can typically seat four people, according to the aircraft manufacturer’s official website. It can also carry up to 100 pounds of baggage together with a full load of fuel while also maintaining a good RV climb rate and speed, the maker says.

NTSB, City Investigating Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash.

Eliott Simpson, a National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident investigator, said that the pilot of the aircraft asked for an immediate return to the airport at around 900 feet, and the tower confirmed it could immediately land.

The pilot did not say why he needed to return.

A small plane about to crash into a commercial building in Fullerton, Calif. on Jan. 2, 2025, in a still from video. (Rucci Forged via AP)

In a statement on Thursday, Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung thanked first responders for their extraordinary efforts in the wake of the tragedy.

He said the City of Fullerton is committed to providing support for all individuals affected by the incident and is working with the agencies involved to uncover further details surrounding the crash.

“We are grateful for the strength of our community and the compassion we show one another in times of crisis,” the mayor stated. “Together, we will move forward with resolve, care, and unity.”

Fullerton Airport in Fullerton, Calif., on Jan. 2, 2025. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

In November 2024, a four-seater aircraft hit a tree roughly half a mile from the airport while attempting to make an emergency landing soon after take-off, the Orange County Register reported.

Both people on board that plane suffered moderate injuries, according to the publication.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.