Witness: Plane Nose-Dived Into Southern California Homes

(AP) - A witness says a small plane's wings were nearly perpendicular to the ground moments before it went into a nosedive and crashed into two Southern California homes.

Authorities say three people on the plane died and two were injured in the fiery crash Monday in Riverside east of Los Angeles.

Brian Marsh tells the Press-Enterprise he was driving when he saw the plane turn and then go into a freefall into the houses.

Ken Sampson tells the newspaper the flames shot so high that he could see them from his house six blocks away.

Three bodies from the plane were found in the wreckage of the aircraft and the homes.

The two homes that were hit directly were destroyed.