Three people were reportedly killed when a private plane owned by a Tesla Motors executive crashed today near Palo Alto, Calif. The identities of the occupants were not disclosed. According to SFGate.com and other reports, the plane was owned by Doug Bourn, a senior electrical engineer for the electric sports car maker. It was not known whether Bourn was on board the plane
According to SFGate, the twin-engined Cessna 310 was bound for Hawthorne Airport near Los Angeles and crashed shortly after takeoff from Palo Alto airport. Reports indicated that there was fog in the area, but it is not known whether this was a factor in the crash.
Company founder Elon Musk confirmed that company employees were aboard the aircraft.
"Three Tesla employees were on board a plane that crashed in East Palo Alto early this morning," Musk said in a statement on Tesla's website. "We are withholding their identities as we work with the relevant authorities to notify the families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Tesla is a small, tightly knit company, and this is a tragic day for us."