The pilot of the plane gasped and declared "Oh my God" seconds before the plane crashed into the warehouse and burst into flames, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by The Los Angeles Times.
The website LiveATC.net also routinely provides radio exchanges between pilots and air traffic control operators.
Security video from a nearby business posted on social media showed the plane as it made impact, crashing into a furniture manufacturing business.
Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana who represents the area in Congress, said in a social media post that a dozen of those injured were in the building.
The crash was reported at 2:09 p.m. PST, just two minutes after takeoff, according to the website FlightAware said. The accident occurred about half a mile from the Fullerton airport, according to the FAA, which identified the plane as a single-engine Van's RV-10.
The plane had just taken off when the pilot announced to air traffic controllers that an immediate landing was required. The pilot initially said he planned to land on Runway 6, prompting the air traffic controller to tell another plane to turn away from the area and head in another direction. The air traffic controller can them be heard telling the distressed pilot that Runway 6 and Runway 24 are both clear for landing.
The pilot then announced that he planned to land on Runway 24. Less than a minute later, panicked gasping and an "Oh my God" is audible before the pilot's audio goes quiet, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times.
"People are just shaken over the situation," witness Mark Anderson told KRCA-TV. "It was just a large boom, and then one of the people went out and said, 'Oh my gosh, the building's on fire.'"
"As we come together in the wake of this tragedy, the city of Fullerton is committed to providing support for all those affected and working with the agencies involved to uncover the details of this incident," Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung said.
He also thanked first responders for their help in a Thursday evening statement he issued on behalf of the Fullerton City Council.
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