FULLERTON, Calif. — Two people were killed and 19 injured when a small plane crashed through the rooftop of a furniture manufacturing building in Fullerton, California, on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Video from the scene showed a gaping hole in the building’s roof where the plane struck it. Security footage caught the moment of impact, showing the plane slam into the roof, sparking a massive fireball. Two people died, according to Kristy Wells of the Fullerton Police Department. They have been identified as Pascal Reid of Huntington Beach, listed as the plane’s owner, and his 16-year-old daughter Kelly.

Eliott Simpson, senior aviation accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said the airplane departed the Fullerton airport at about 2 p.m. and, approximately 10 minutes later, the pilot called for an immediate return to the airport and was cleared to land. 

"[The plane] ultimately crashed about 1,000 feet short of the runway," Simpson said. "It struck a furniture building and immediately caught fire. And so far, we have a two confirmed fatalities."

Officials did not release the names of the deceased. An initial report said that the two people dead were in the plane. Injuries  ranged from minor to severe.

The Associated Press reported that the building struck by the plane was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door. The report, picked up by numerous news outlets, said that the facility appeared to have sewing machines and textile stock inside.  

The Fullerton Police Department released a statement on its Facebook page that said the incident occurred in the early afternoon of January 2, 2025. At 2:09 p.m., Fullerton Police and Fullerton Fire responded to the 2300 block of Raymer Ave. [Fullerton, California] regarding a small aircraft that crashed onto a rooftop of a commercial building near the Fullerton Airport.

Upon arrival, police and fire personnel immediately began evacuations of the surrounding businesses due to an active fire in the building. Fullerton Fire, along with Brea Fire, the Orange County Fire Authority, Huntington Beach Fire, Fountain Valley Fire, and Anaheim Fire immediately began fire suppression and rescue efforts.

Nineteen individuals, who were working inside the building at the time of the plane crash, were injured. Eleven individuals were transported to area hospitals for treatment and eight were treated and released on scene. There are two confirmed fatalities, both of whom are believed to have been in the aircraft at the time of the crash.

A Vans RV-10 experimental aircraft was located inside the commercial building engulfed in flames, the report said.

The identity of the deceased will be released by the Orange County Coroner’s Office pending next of kin notifications.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are on scene and are conducting an investigation into the crash.