Plane Crashes in East Palo Alto, Three Dead and Widespread Power Outages

[![](http://blog.stanfordreview.org/content/images/2010/02/20100217__planecrashesmt1_GALLERY.JPG-300x225.jpg "Photo of East Palo Alto Home")](http://blog.stanfordreview.org/content/images/2010/02/20100217__planecrashesmt1_GALLERY.JPG.jpeg)

Photo of East Palo Alto Home (courtesy: Mercury News)

A passenger plane leaving from the Palo Alto Airport [crashed](http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14416855) in nearby East Palo Alto this morning, after shearing its wing on a a high tension transmission tower. The pilot and both of the two passengers on board are dead. It is unclear who the victims are, though [according](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35440606/ns/us_news-life/?from=ET) to one witness, the pilot is a high ranking official with Tesla Motors.

As a result of the collision with the tower, power is out in large portion of East Palo Alto and Palo Alto, and part of the tower has collapsed. Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said “we’re going to have widespread power outage for a period of time.”

The plane was headed for Hawthorne Municipal airport in southern California. It appears the crash occurred largely due to visibility issues related to the fog.

At this point, it appears there will not be additional casualties though the plane landed in the street in East Palo Alto, setting fire to multiple cars, as well as a home and a day care center (only one child was in the center at the time, and no children were hurt.)

As a quick note, the video below is mistaken. Though the plane took off from Palo Alto, it crashed in East Palo Alto, which is less than a mile away.