Californian Captures Image Of Fatal Midair Collision

Federal and county investigators are trying to determine what caused two planes to collide in flight near Gillespie Field, killing three people.

The collision occurred about 4:40 p.m. Wednesday in the skies over the El Cajon/La Mesa, just south of Fletcher Hills and northeast of Grossmont High School.

The victims, a pilot, flight instructor and a student pilot were aboard the ill-fated flights. No injuries on the ground were reported, even though debris rained down over a radius of approximately one mile, including Harry Griffen Park.

Two of the victims were flying in a Cessna 172 RG, and another in a Cessna 182 aircraft. The Cessna 172 RG was headed for Brown Field, according to a Federal Aviation Administration official.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived at the crash scene around 10 p.m. Wednesday and assumed responsibility for the primary investigation.

They plan to continue surveying the scene Thursday in conjunction with investigators from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, said Lt. Mike Moore of the El Cajon Police Department.

Relief team members from the American Red Cross opened a shelter and provided overnight lodging and meals for residents displaced by the crash.

Police advised the public finding debris from the collision to call the El Cajon Police Department at

and not touch it.

Grossmont High School will be open Thursday, but its parking lot off Dennstedt Place will be closed.

Several people witnessed the aircraft collide. One resident caught the collision on his cell phone. Click here is see the picture .

Many witnesses told 10News that they heard a very loud explosion and then saw a large ball of flames fall from the sky.

"My son and I were in the back yard screwing around and my son said 'Look dad, look at the plane.' I looked up in the sky and all of a sudden another aircraft came out of nowhere and Bam! a gulf of flames. All the particles came falling from the sky with flames," Luis Gamez told 10News.

"I had no clue where it was going to fall. It looked like it was headed in our direction. I threw the poor kid over my shoulder and started running down the canyon toward the freeway," Gamez added.

"I was cooking dinner in my kitchen, and I heard a big explosion and my house shook. I thought maybe it was a car accident, so I went outside and looked around there was no car. I saw pieces of debris that were on fire and falling from the sky -- it was right above my house," another witness told 10News.

"I heard this pop, pop, pop! It sounded like it was circling almost, so I ran outside to see what it was. (There was a) big boom and the pieces started falling," said John Turner.

"I saw the plane if flames and pieces scattering everywhere. You could hear the people screaming at the park already because they had all seen it also," said Stephanie Whitley.

"The pressure was so strong when it hit that it kocked my door open," said Glenda Parker.

"(It was a) pretty gruesome scene," said witness Ian Rainey.

"It was like a nightmare -- something you wouldn't expect to happen," said witness Kristy Rainey.

"I think it's a limb and not a tree limb. I think it's a body part on my roof," said witness Diane Mushet.

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