Photo: CHP Oroville/Twitter
A small Cessna Citation jet burst into flames just moments after takeoff on Wednesday in Oroville, California.
All 10 people onboard, including two pilots, survived without any injuries, according to local authorities,NBCreported. The jet was taking off from the Oroville Municipal Airport in northern California at the time, and headed to Portland, Oregon.“All 10, you know, were alive,” Joe Deal, the public safety director for Oroville Police and Fire told NBC of the eight passengers and two pilots. “All 10 passengers are accounted for and there are no injuries related to the incident.”
The eight passengers were members of Graphic Packaging International’s leadership team, who told PEOPLE their employees were “safely back home.”
“We can confirm that eight employees of Graphic Packaging International were on the plane that aborted takeoff yesterday in Oroville, California,” the company said to PEOPLE in a statement. “We are very happy to report that they are all safely back home. We at Graphic Packaging are grateful for the outcome of the situation as well as the outpouring of concern and support we have received.”
According to Joe Deal — the Oroville fire and police chief — the jet had complications during takeoff, sliding off the end of the runway and catching fire in the dry grass.
“It was attempting to take off, but early reports show that it never made it off the ground,” Deal told theAssociated Press.
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“They were out of the plane quickly,” Rick Carhart, a spokesman for the Butte County Fire Department told theAP. “[Before the first fire engine arrived] the people had already gotten off and vacated the area very quickly.”
It took nearly an hour to put out the flames, as the jet was carrying 400 gallons of jet fuel.
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the incident, though Deal said it could take a year or more to determine the cause.
source: people.com
