Two people were killed when a single-engine airplane crashed into the desert and burst into flames near Needles Airport on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Firefighters immediately set to work dousing the flames, officials said. "Tragically, both occupants on board perished in the crash," according to the statement. Their identities were not released Monday.

A witness who was at the airport with his family said he saw a “big fireball” after the plane “crashed head first into the ground.”