California - In a tragic incident on Saturday morning, a plane crashed and burst into flames over a field in southern California, claiming the lives of six individuals.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the plane engulfed in fire, along with approximately one acre of vegetation. The crash occurred near an airport in Murrieta, California, in south-west Riverside County, about 85 miles (136.79 km) south of Los Angeles.

According to reports from KTLA, the flight had initially departed from the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas before crashing into the field. The plane involved was identified as a Cessna C550 business jet by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Riverside County Fire Department confirmed that the six passengers aboard the plane were pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the burning wreckage was discovered around 4:15 am. The identities of the victims have not been released.

Data from the flight tracking website FlightAware revealed that there was only one business jet traveling from Las Vegas to French Valley at the time of the crash. The plane reportedly circled once near the field before descending and ultimately crashing.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department posted a tweet confirming the crash and subsequent fire, which caused about an acre of vegetation to burn.

#VillageFIRE [FINAL UPDATE]: The fire is 100% contained to 35 acres. Firefighters will remain on-scene overnight and tomorrow morning patrolling for hot spots and continuing to strengthen containment lines. All road closures in the area have been lifted.

— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) July 9, 2023

The investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway, with both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) involved. The NTSB is expected to send five investigators to the crash site, and a preliminary report is anticipated in approximately 15 days.

Reports suggest that heavy fog covered the area on Saturday morning, which may have contributed to the plane missing the runway by several hundred yards.

Sadly, this marks the second fatal crash near the French Valley airport in Riverside County within a few days. Earlier in the week, another incident resulted in the death of one person and injuries to three others when a plane struck the side of a building near the airport.