A small plane crashed and erupted into a fireball at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, on Monday afternoon, killing both people on board. The 1977 Cessna 172N Skyhawk went down around 5:20 p.m. while attempting to land on runway 28L. Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was performing a go-around when it appeared to stall, with its left wing dipping before it spun into the ground and burst into flames.

Witnesses Mauricio Godinez and Melizza Cardiel Godinez were nearby when they heard a loud boom. Melizza said she tried to rush toward the aircraft to help but was forced back by the intensity of the fire. “The flames was just too much, if we would have gotten in there, we would have gotten burned ourselves,” she recalled. Other bystanders brought fire extinguishers, yet the blaze spread too quickly for anyone to reach the occupants.

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews arrived to find the four-seat trainer heavily damaged and engulfed. Firefighters extinguished the flames but were unable to extricate the victims, who died at the scene. Authorities also dealt with a fuel spill on the runway. The airport was temporarily closed while emergency personnel secured the area and investigators began their work.

The aircraft was registered in Idaho and is a common model used for flight training. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the circumstances of the crash. Early reports from the Federal Aviation Administration describe the sequence as a left-wing dip followed by an apparent stall during the go-around attempt. Full details on the pilots’ identities and experience have not yet been publicly released.

Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport serves general aviation, including private flights, training operations and corporate traffic. The Labor Day holiday timing meant fewer people were present at airport businesses when the accident occurred. Those who were on the field described the suddenness of the impact and the rapid growth of the fire that prevented any rescue effort.

The NTSB will examine flight data, maintenance records, pilot actions and weather conditions as part of its probe. For now, the crash stands as a tragic reminder of the risks inherent in even routine training flights. Families of the two people killed are left to mourn while investigators work to determine exactly what caused the Cessna to stall and burn on the San Diego runway.