By Gina Yarbrough
OCEANSIDE–A pilot was killed Tuesday morning when his twin-engine plane crashed and burned in a field next to an elementary school.
The small plane left Oceanside Municipal Airport about 10:55 a.m., headed westbound, turned left and was headed eastbound when the plane began to have engine troubles, said Leonard Mata, Oceanside Police Department.
According to witnesses on the ground, the plane flew pass a residential neighborhood and school before crashing in an open field. The plane exploded soon after impact. Smoke suddenly filled the air as the plane burned.
The Oceanside Fire Department responded to the scene and quickly doused the blaze with foam.
The crashed temporary closed of State Highway 76.
FAA officials are still on the scene.
The identity of the pilot is unknown.
