Two killed in Cessna crash at San Diego's Montgomery-Gibbs Airport

Two people died when a Cessna Skyhawk crashed and burst into flames on a runway at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego on the evening of September 7, 2026. The San Diego Police Department reported the crash at around 17:20 local time, on Labor Day, when most airport businesses were closed.

Fire crews reached the site quickly, but the aircraft was too badly damaged for anyone to be rescued, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Brian Raines. He confirmed both occupants died and said their identities had not yet been released. Raines added that there was no risk of the fire spreading beyond the crash site, and a contractor was called to clean up spilled jet fuel.

A witness watching from a nearby parking garage told the Los Angeles Times that the plane appeared to tilt right as it came in to land, with its wing striking the ground. He said the front of the aircraft caught fire within seconds, and that he saw no smoke before impact. Two workers from a hangar said they heard a boom and ran toward the plane with fire extinguishers, but the flames spread too quickly. One said the plane was engulfed within roughly 90 seconds. The workers described it as a small, four-seater Cessna.