One of two planes that collided midair south of San Diego, killing five, was on a training mission for the U.S. military, investigators confirm.
A twin-engine Sabreliner and a single-engine Cessna 172 collided at approximately 11 a.m. Sunday northeast of Brown Field Municipal Airport. Five people died in the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the Sabreliner involved in the crash was leased by military contractor BAE Systems on a mission training flight.
NTSB Investigator in Charge Andrew Swick said the Sabreliner was coming inbound for landing and the Cessna was performing "touch and go's" at the time the planes collided.
Federal investigators will spend Monday looking for evidence in the debris field which stretches more than a mile.
The Sabreliner crashed on a grassy slope and the Cessna fell within the bounds of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.
Without survivors, investigators will have to rely on debris to determine the trajectory of the planes and just how the planes hit.
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Investigators now believe the planes collided with their wings. Wing strikes found on some debris lead investigators to believe the planes collided at the wing.
They will also try and find any communications between pilots.
The debris will be transported to a facility in Phoenix, Arizona where investigators will piece the planes back together to try and determine what may have caused the crash.
There were conflicting reports on whether the air traffic control tower at Brown Field was open at the time of the incident. However, an airport spokesperson told NBC 7 Monday that tower was open and staffed when yesterday's collision occurred.
With no obvious mechanical problems reported, good flying conditions and the differences between the two planes, Aviation Expert Glen Winn says this crash was more likely pilot error.
"BAE Systems was alerted this afternoon that a small aircraft carrying its employees collided with another," the company said in a statement to NBC7, adding that its "employees and their families are our first priority and we are prepared to offer all our support."
The fiery plane wreckage ignited several nearby brush fires. One Chula Vista firefighter was taken to the hospital for a minor heat-related exhaustion injury.
