Staff Reports

          Corona – Four people died when a plane crashed after taking off from the Corona Municipal Airport wednesday, Jan. 22. The plane reportedly caught fire after it crashed.

          Around 12:10 p.m., the single-engine aircraft carrying four people was departing the airport, which is located at 1900 Aviation Drive, when it crashed at the end of the runway, according to John DeYoe of the Corona Fire Department.

          The plane had a full 80-gallon fuel tank, which spilled and ignited a fire that spread to nearby brush, DeYoe said.

          First responders arrived at the scene and found the small aircraft engulfed in flames on the airport’s east side, according to the Corona Police Department.

          The blaze burned about a quarter-acre before firefighters knocked it down.

After extinguishing the flames, authorities discovered the plane’s four occupants dead; all were found to have “extensive” burn injuries, DeYoe said.

          He did not have any information about the victims, including genders or ages. The coroner’s office has responded to the scene.

          Local pilots told KTLA the plane had stopped at the airport to refuel.

It was not immediately known what caused the crash, but one witness told KTLA that issues were evident during takeoff.

          A witness, Dorothe Voll saw the aircraft hit a fence and flip over before smoke started pouring out. People immediately ran over with the extinguishers to try and put out the flames before firefighters arrived minutes later.

          The charred wreckage was visible in a brushy area just off an airport runway, Sky5 aerial video showed. Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, confirmed the plane was destroyed in the crash.

          He said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, online reports said.