Plane crashes in Porterville that was bringing in doctors to perform surgery, officials say

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- An investigation is underway as the National Transportation Safety Board works to determine what caused a private jet to overrun the runway of Porterville Municipal Airport.

The crash happened around 11:45 am Tuesday. Local emergency crews were first to respond.

"When we get a call like this, our main concern are the passengers and fire," says Porterville Police Chief Bobby Rader. "That's a huge concern, especially for a jet aircraft, so our city and county fire partners did a wonderful job getting here very quickly."

Six people were on board the aircraft, including two pilots and four doctors.

All were taken to an area hospital out of precaution but are expected to be okay.

"It's a miracle," Rader said. "These things often turn into a fire, and very often have fatalities. In this case, everyone got off the plane, everyone went to the hospital as a precaution and we are thankful for that."

ABC News Aviation expert John Nance says there are many factors that could have contributed to the plane not landing safely.

"Aircraft like this require a type rating to fly, and there were two qualified pilots, so you have the best training available for this kind of airplane, which is a very forgiving airplane," he said.

The NTSB is now investigating what led up to the crash.

"We will take in statements and determine if there was any electronic devices within the airplane that could be of use to determine the probable cause," said Peter Knudson with the NTSB.

The NTSB says their investigation could take several months to complete.

When the investigation is complete, that information and report will be on their website.

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