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Man killed when small plane destined for Utah crashes in California

The pilot of a small airplane died Thursday night as he was taking off in Fullerton, Calif.

He was the only person on board, news outlets in California reported. His destination was the airport in Heber City, Utah, according to the flight plan he filed. The pilot’s name has not been disclosed, though KABC-TV in Los Angeles cited firefighters in reporting the man was in his 50s.

The plane was a twin-propeller Beechcraft Duke, the California outlets reported. Fullerton Fire Department Division Chief Kathy Schaeffer said at a news conference the plane was traveling about 80 mph and had just left the ground when it veered left, crashed and exploded, The Los Angeles Times reported.

KABC-TV said the Beechcraft had a full tank of fuel, leading to a fiery scene at the Fullerton airport.

This story will be updated.

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