Three men were injured when an Omega Air Boeing 707 tanker crashed upon takeoff at 5:25 p.m. today at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, according to Naval base authorities.
The burning fuel could be smelled by residents of Malibu, prompting one resident, who described it as a ?toxic cloud of smoke,? to warn everyone to stay indoors.
The fire was knocked down at 9:09 p.m. Wednesday night. Fire crews will be cleaning and mopping up the scene through the evening.
The three crewmembers onboard escaped the crash with minor injuries. Responding to the fire are engines from NBVC’s Federal Fire Department and the Ventura County Fire Department.
Omega Air Refueling is a civilian company under contract by the Navy to provide fleet operations support on Point Mugu’s sea test range.
The National Air Transportation Board is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash. More information will be released as it becomes available.