CALIFORNIA (From news reports) -- Ten people walked away unscathed after a small aircraft they were aboard went off a runway before bursting into flames Wednesday.
The Cessna Citation caught fire not long after its takeoff was unexpectedly canceled from Oroville Municipal Airport in northern California, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The twin-engine jet was on its way to the Portland International Airport in Oregon.
Authorities said that the plane experienced complications during take-off resulting in the aircraft and the grass around it catching fire. The Cessna was "fully involved in flames" when responders arrived at the scene.
Joe Deal, the public safety director for Oroville Police and Fire, said Wednesday a total of 10 people were on board the flight -- eight passengers and two pilots.
Graphic Packaging International confirmed that eight members of their leadership team were on board the flight after leaving a facility located in Oroville, but declined to comment further.
"All 10, you know, were alive," Deal said. "All 10 passengers are accounted for and there are no injuries related to the incident."
Once all the passengers were accounted for, the fire department was able to control the burning aircraft, which Deal said had about 400 pounds of fuel in the fuselage.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the cause of the crash but it could be many months before answers are found, according to Deal.
"I would not plan on knowing the actual cause today," he said Wednesday. "It's a detailed investigation."
