Aircraft Was Arriving From Sun Valley

Four people were killed Tuesday morning when their Cessna Citation 560 (file photo of type, right) skidded off the far end of Runway 24 at McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ) in Carlsbad, CA. The aircraft struck a barricade, and slid down a 100- to- 150-foot bluff before glancing off the side of a storage facility and catching on fire.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the jet was arriving from Hailey, ID -- near the resort town of Sun Valley -- at approximately 6:40 am MST when the accident occurred. The careening plane also knocked out the ILS equipment for one of the runways, said Mike Fergus, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration.

San Diego County Airports spokesman Bill Polick told the media the CRQ control tower was not at operating at the time of the accident.

Investigators were expected to arrive at the scene Tuesday afternoon. The identities of the victims have not been released.

McClellan-Palomar, primarily a general-aviation field, is also served by two commuter airlines -- United Express and America West Express.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov