A small plane crashed and burned in an El Cajon parking lot shortly after takeoff Sunday, sending three people -- including two Huntington Beach police officers -- to a hospital.
The plane had just left Gillespie Field when the pilot reported engine trouble and attempted to turn back, said Mark Casey, a spokesman for Heartland Fire and Rescue.
The plane went down just before 10 a.m. near the intersection of Cuyamaca Street and Marshall Avenue, Casey said. That's one block away from the airport.
Firefighters found that the crash site was actually in the parking lot of a business on nearby Gillespie Way, he said.
The plane struck a light pole and ended up against a fence between two buildings leaking fuel caught fire, and the wreckage became engulfed in flames, Casey said.
Three people inside were all able to escape, and were taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, he said. The extent of their injuries was unknown.
Casey said two Cox Cable Company vehicles were parked near the crash site and sustained damage.
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The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident, he said.
