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Small Plane With 10 People On-Board Catches Fire At Oroville Airport; No Injuries Reported

OROVILLE (CBS13) – The latest on a plane that caught fire at the Oroville Municipal Airport:

6:25 p.m.

Officials have confirmed the aircraft that caught fire was operated by Delta Private Jets.

Delta Private Jets released a statement Wednesday:

"We are in close contact with the customers on board an aircraft operated by Delta Private Jets that left the runway in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday after the crew elected to reject takeoff before leaving the ground. All eight customers and two crew safely exited the aircraft and were escorted to the terminal. While the cause of the incident is currently under investigation, we are providing support to customers involved through re-accommodation and other resources."

5 p.m.

CBS13 spoke with one man who said he was just down the road when the flames broke out. He said the 10 people inside must have been cleared out fast because he never saw them.

The plane exploded into flames just a few hundred yards from Highway 162. It's fallen apart, with the wings and front area split off from the body of the plane.

Former pilot Mat Lakota saw the plane just moments after it caught fire. He can't believe anyone survived.

"To actually see [a] jet crashed on the end of our runway is spellbinding, to put it mildly," Lakota said.

It's unclear where the surviving passengers were taken after the crash.

The Oroville Fire Chief said this was a personally chartered jet and its passengers had stayed overnight in Oroville.

2:39 p.m.

The FAA says 10 people were on board the small plane when it slid off the end of the runway.

According to preliminary information, the twin-engine Cessna Citation had to abort takeoff for an unknown reason. This caused the plane to crash off the runway and into some surrounding grass.

It then caught fire. There have been no reports of injuries, however, the FAA says.

The plane was scheduled to fly from Oroville to the Portland International Airport.

Both the FAA and NTSB will be investigating the incident.

12:46 p.m.

A small plane has caught fire at the Oroville Municipal Airport on Wednesday.

Exactly what led up to the plane catching fire is unclear, but California Highway Patrol's Oroville division says there has been no word on any injuries.

Flames from the fire have spread to nearby vegetation at the airport. Cal Fire and Butte County Fire Department crews are busy working to control them.

Smoke from the fire has caused Highway 162 near Oroville to be closed due to limited visibility, Caltrans says.

More information to come.

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