Five siblings have been left orphaned after their parents were killed when a private jet crashed 500ft from a runway in California – causing loved ones to launch a fundraiser for the children following the heartbreaking tragedy.
Manuel Vargas-Regalado, 32, a marine corps veteran, and his wife Abigail Tellez-Vargas, 33, were killed on Saturday morning when their Cessna C550 plane crashed as it approached the French Valley Airport between Los Angeles and San Diego, causing it to explode into a giant fireball.
The mother and father had been flying home from a business trip in the early hours of the morning when the pilot warned air traffic control he could not see the landing strip amid the dense fog.
‘These children did not just lose one parent they have lost both which just breaks my heart,’ Monique Bettencourt, a friend of the family, wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page, adding that the children’s ‘whole world had been taken from them’.
She added: ‘They were amazing parents to five beautiful children who they leave behind, Caleb 14, Alexandria 11, Manny 8, Alberto 3, and Avi 1.’
Manuel Vargas-Regalado, 32, and Abigail Tellez-Vargas, 33, were killed in a plane crash Saturday morning. They are pictured with children Caleb 14 , Alexandria 11, Manny 8, Alberto 3, and Avi 1
Manuel Vargas-Regalado, 32, a marine corps veteran, and his wife Abigail Tellez-Vargas, 33, were killed on Saturday morning when their Cessna C550 plane crashed
The Cessna C550 plane crashed as it approached the French Valley Airport between Los Angeles and San Diego, causing it to explode into a giant fireball
Launching the fundraiser – which has so far raised close to $25,000 – Monique confirmed that all the money would go towards Abigail’s sister who is now looking after the five children.
‘I am setting up this fundraiser for their five children in which the funds will go directly to Abigail’s sister Alejandra Trevino,’ Monique wrote.
‘She will take full custody of their children and raise and love them as her own.
‘No kid should have to face this type of tragedy. Please be in prayer for their kids and family during these devastating times.’
The family friend said the ‘unexpected passing’ – that also filled four others on the plane – had ‘impacted so many people’, adding that they will ‘missed by so many, especially their children’.
Monique said the money raised through the GoFundMe page will help Abigail’s sister, Alejandra, who will be ‘taking kids in to love and care for’.
‘The financial burdens that come with an unexpected loss can be overwhelming. Any money donated will go to Abigail’s sister to help support their children.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time.’
‘Any donations will be sincerely appreciated. If you are unable to donate please keep them in your prayers.’
Friends said: ‘They were amazing parents to five beautiful children who they leave behind, Caleb 14 , Alexandria 11, Manny 8, Alberto 3, and Avi 1.’
Launching the fundraiser Monique confirmed that all the money would go towards Abigail’s sister who is now looking after the five children.
Manuel Vargas-Regalado and Abigail Tellez-Vargas had been flying home from a business trip in the early hours of the morning when the pilot warned air traffic control he could not see the landing strip
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Chad Bianco confirmed the names of four others who died in the accident on Saturday morning: pilot Riese Lenders, 25; and passengers Lindsey Gleiche, 31; Alma Razick, 51; and Ibrahem Razick, 46.
Twice on Saturday morning the plane attempted to land on the French Valley Airport strip, crashing on the second approach. The plane had taken off from Harry Reid International in Nevada.
Elliott Simpson, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, in a press conference that a ‘marine layer’ of fog – common around coastal southern California – had descended upon the runway.
‘The pilot reported to air traffic control that he was going to perform a missed approach, which generally happens when the pilot can’t see the runway,’ Simpson said.
Flight tracking information from Flight Aware shows that the twin-jet aircraft abandoned its first attempt at an altitude of less than 1,600 feet and a speed of around 170 mph.
It then looped back around and attempted to make the landing the second time. The plane crashed around 500ft from the intended runway, around 58 minutes after it took off.
This caused the jet to be entirely consumed by fire as it hit the ground. The resulting fire set alight an acre of vegetation before crews were able to put it out.
The fire set alight an acre of vegetation before crews were able to put it out
The plane crashed around 500ft from the intended runway, around 58 minutes after it took off
The Cessna C550 plane crashed as it approached the French Valley Airport between Los Angeles and San Diego, causing it to explode into a giant fireball
Flight tracking information from Flight Aware shows the plane aborted its first landing before returning to make a second unsuccessful attempt
The incident happened at the French Valley Airport in Murrieta in Riverside County, California
French Valley is an airport in the hills north of San Diego at an altitude of around 1,350 feet.
The crash was the second fatal incident at French Valley Airport in less than a week – on Tuesday a single-engine Cessna 172 crashed in the parking lot soon after taking off, killing one of the four people on board.
The plane was being piloted by a father who was flying with his three children. He died and the children survived.
In November 2021, a pilot died on a hillside near the airport after crashing his Zodiac plane. When deputies arrived, they found the man, the plane’s sole occupant, dead inside the aircraft.
