Thaindian News

East Palo Alto, Feb 17 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Earlier today in east Palo Alto California, a small twin engine Cessna 310 airplane crashed. The plane was reportedly carrying two executives from Tesla Motors, and a third Tesla Motors exec was piloting. The names of those killed in the crash, however, have not yet been released. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Doug Bourn, who was a senior electrical engineer for Telsa Motors is the plane’s owner. Tesla motors produces electric sports cars.

The plane which had just taken off from Palo Alto Airport was in flight to Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Los Angeles County. It flew into a transmission tower, and then crashed into a neighborhood, damaging four homes and sparking electric fires in spots on the ground. All three people aboard the plane were killed.

The plane was said to have crashed into the tower, which was 80 to 100 feet tall, at around 8 am this morning. The top half of the building was ripped off and broke into several pieces which feel into a home day care center, and several cars and homes on Beech Street, according to Harold Schapelhouman, who is the chief at the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. “Miraculously,” he added, “No one on the ground was hurt.”

Power was knocked out to 28,000 of the city electric customers, some schools, and Stanford Hospital. The hospital is now on back up power and residents are being asked to reserve water.

An update has been released that stated that the Motor Authority said, “We have confirmed through our sources that Tesla vice president of communications Ricardo Reyes and vice president Diarmuid O’Connel were not on board the flight. Fox is reporting that Tesla CEO Elon Musk was also not involved in the crash.”

I offer my condolences and prayers to the families and friends of the victims.