The Yorba Linda neighborhood where a plane crashed into a home and killed five people, including the pilot, is still struggling to cope with the reality of what occurred on Sunday.
Some thought it was the sound of motorcycles racing through the neighborhood, others assumed the loud boom was an earthquake and now three days later they are emotionally recovering each in their own way.
Paul Prichard made an assumption when he heard the sound of branches cracking in his backyard.
"My wife in kitchen, she said, 'Paul, we've been struck by lightning. It hit the tree,'" Prichard recalls.
There is now a gaping hole in the tall eucalyptus behind their Yorba Linda home, evidence of just how close the Cessna dropped from the sky and almost landed on them.
"I was more shook up later on when I looked up at that tree and saw how close, maybe 30 yards," Prichard says.
Prichard ran to his driveway to put out a fire that he initially thought was his car. Then he surmised maybe an underground vault had exploded. It was neither. It was the wing of the plane.
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"Later on, you start thinking," he says. "That's when you lose your sleep, when you realize how close we came to real disaster for the whole neighborhood."
Authorities say a twin engine Cessna fell apart after leaving Fullerton airport, the fireball landing directly on his neighbor's home.
"Something flew over top of my house, over into [the neighbor's] yard."
Sue Bacha lives next to the Prichards' home. Three days later, she says the initial shock is wearing off.
"That's why I'm so hoarse, because I've been spending a lot of time crying," she said.
According to neighbors, Dahlia Leber and Roy Anderson own the destroyed home. Sheriff's deputies confirm four people died in the house, along with the pilot of the plane.
City officials are planning a vigil at Glenn Knoll School Thursday night. It had served as a command post during the initial investigation. Now, it will become a meeting place for a community in recovery and mourning.
Wednesday brought about more signs of reality setting in, as insurance adjusters and some apparent friends of the homeowners stopped by to take photos.
The mayor confirmed that a GoFundMe has been created to help the victims of the plane crash. If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, you may do so here, but please note that GoFundMe takes a percentage of fees as platform and processing fees.
