3 dead after small plane crashes into hangar at Southern California airport

Three people were killed when a small plane crashed into a hangar at a Southern California airport Sunday morning, officials said. 

The single-engine Beechcraft P35 crashed during departure at Cable Airport in Upland, about 35 miles from Los Angeles, at around 6:30 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The three people killed were the only passengers on board. 

Firefighters from the San Bernardino County Fire Department found the plane engulfed in flames. There was an exposure threat to both the hangar and a fuel truck parked nearby, but firefighters were able to get the blaze under control in less than 20 minutes. No injuries to firefighters were reported.

The impacted hangar is used to support Ontario Police Department’s Aviation Unit, officials said. Several helicopters are housed at the location. Police described the damage to the hangar as moderate. Pictures from the scene show debris on the ground and a hole in the side of the hangar.

The Upland Police Department and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. 

Officials have not yet publicly identified the victims who were killed.