On July 8, 2023, at approximately 4:15 a.m., a Cessna C550 business jet crashed near Murrieta, California’s French Valley Airport. The crash resulted in the death of six people. The incident was the second one the airstrip saw in less than a week.
The plane took off from Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport and crashed into a field near French Valley Airport. The plane burst into flames as it attempted to land at the airport.
The Riverside County Fire Department put out the small bushfire caused by the crash. None of the six passengers survived the crash. The plane was being piloted by a commercial flyer, and all other passengers in the plane were adults.
The jet took off on Saturday morning amidst heavy fog, which was causing poor visibility. The low visibility might have been the reason the plane missed the runway by several hundred yards.