Passengers go unharmed after the plane ignites at the California airport



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Ten people left unharmed after boarding a small plane that left a runway before igniting Wednesday.

A Cessna Citation caught fire soon after its takeoff was canceled unexpectedly at the Oroville Municipal Airport in northern California, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The double-jet engine was en route to Portland International Airport in Oregon.

Authorities said the plane had had complications during takeoff, which had caused the plane and grass fire around the plane. The Cessna was "fully involved in the flames" when the responders arrived at the scene.

Joe Deal, director of public security police and firefighters in Oroville, announced Wednesday that a total of 10 people were on board the flight, eight passengers and two pilots.

Graphic Packaging International confirmed to NBC News that eight members of its management team were aboard the flight after leaving a plant in Oroville, but declined to comment further.

"All 10, you know, were alive," says Deal. "The 10 passengers are counted and there is no injury related to the incident."

Once all passengers were found, the fire department was able to control the aircraft on fire, which, according to Deal, had about 400 pounds of fuel in the fuselage.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the cause of the accident, but several months will pass before answers are found, according to Deal.

"I would not have the intention of knowing the real cause today," he said Wednesday. "It's a detailed survey."

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