A small, twin-engine plane has crashed, apparently shortly after take-off from the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, into a nearby building, prompting evacuations of neighboring businesses.
<p.The accident occurred around noon on June 24 on the corner of Sueldo and Granada streets, though the exact time wasn’t immediately disclosed by authorities.
As of 1:30 p.m., officials from Cal Fire, the San Luis Obispo Fire Department, SLO Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Poly University Police, Hazmat, and SLO County Sheriff’s Department were all on scene.
At around 1:30 p.m., Cal Fire tweeted that at least one person had died in the accident, and two officials on the scene confirmed the death, though the identity of the deceased was unknown.
Initial reports indicate the plane didn’t strike the Promega Biosciences building, but rather hit a parked FedEx truck. However, a New Times reporter on the scene described what appeared to be very minor indications of impact to the side of the building.
The building isn’t a chemical factory; it’s a biomedical lab that specializes in organic chemistry research, development, and manufacturing, according to its website.
The company’s SLO location employs just more than 50 people, according to the company website.
Authorities haven’t issued any warnings to the public. New Times will publish more details as they become available. For the full story, pick up this week’s print edition.
This article appears in Jun 20-27, 2013.