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Plane crashes are exceedingly rare, but sometimes it may feel like San Diego sees more than its fair share. KPBS military reporter Andrew Dyer says despite appearances, flying remains among the safest ways to travel.

Timeline: 50 years of plane crashes in San Diego neighborhoods

By Elaine Alfaro / Gloria Penner Fellow,  Lara McCaffrey / Social Media Strategist
Published May 22, 2025 at 7:03 PM PDT

The recent jet plane crash into San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood left at least two homes destroyed and several more damaged, according to the Navy. Images from the scene also show several burned vehicles. In the aftermath of the crash, KPBS examined the history of plane crashes in San Diego's residential neighborhoods. The National Transportation Safety Board investigates and reports aviation incidents throughout the country.

The timeline below is not comprehensive; it includes civilian aircraft crashes that were in residential areas (according to their wreckage coordinates).

Scroll through the timeline and click on each pin to learn details

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Public Safety Investigations
Elaine Alfaro
Elaine Alfaro is the KPBS Gloria Penner Fellow. She's honoring the legacy of senior political correspondent Gloria Penner through producing and reporting on topics related to democracy, politics and civic engagement.
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Lara McCaffrey
As social media strategist, Lara McCaffrey is responsible for connecting and engaging with our social media audiences. Prior to joining KPBS, Lara worked as a freelance journalist for San Diego CityBeat, HerMoney, OK Whatever, Out There podcast and more. She also interned for Psychology Today and reached millions of readers as a senior content creator at digital media company 101 Network. Lara has a master's in journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's in political science from University of California, San Diego.
See stories by Lara McCaffrey
KPBS News: Public Safety Policy
KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.
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