Two people were killed and 18 others injured when a small plane crashed into a commercial warehouse near Fullerton Municipal Airport, starting a fire, officials said. The harrowing audio recordings of the incident suggested that the flight went suddenly and horribly wrong.

Surveillance camera footage showed a fireball exploding as the plane hit the roof of the facility, sending thick clouds of dark smoke and bright orange flames into the sky.

The plane crash was reported at 2:09 p.m. Thursday in the 2300 block of Raymer Avenue and led to the evacuation of more than 100 people from inside the building and the setting up of a nearby triage area to treat the injured, according to Fullerton police.

The crash occurred about a half-mile from Fullerton Airport and the FAA identified the aircraft as a single-engine Van’s RV-10.

At 3:25 p.m., Fullerton police Lt. Tim Kandler said the fire was out.

As of 5 p.m., ten people had been transported to local hospitals and eight had been treated and released at the scene, according to police spokeswoman Kristy Wells.

It was unclear whether the two people killed were on the plane, she said.

Data from flight tracker FlightAware showed a plane departed the small airport at 2:07 p.m. before its flight ended at 2:09 p.m. At this point, police say they received a notification of a plane crash.

The plane had just taken off from Fullerton Airport when the pilot announced that an immediate landing was required, according to audio from the air traffic control tower.

In the audio, the pilot first says that he will land on runway 6, which prompts the air traffic controller to tell another aircraft to leave that area. The air traffic controller then informs the pilot that either runway 6 or 24 is cleared for landing.

The pilot then changes his mind for an unknown reason and says he will land on runway 24. Less than a minute later, panicked gasps and an “Oh my God” can be heard before the pilot’s audio fades away.

According to the FAA, the plane is registered to a Huntington Beach resident. It is unclear whether this person was on the plane at the time of the crash.

Multiple agencies worked together to respond to the incident. These included Fullerton police and fire departments, Buena Park police, La Habra police, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway police, Cal State Fullerton University police and firefighters from Brea, Anaheim and Huntington Beach, as well as the Orange County Fire Authority.

Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung thanked first responders for their help in a statement Thursday evening issued on behalf of the Fullerton City Council.

“As we come together in the wake of this tragedy, the City of Fullerton is committed to supporting all those affected and working with the authorities involved to uncover the details of this incident,” Jung said. “We are grateful for the strength” of our community and the compassion we show each other in times of crisis. Together we will move forward with determination, care and unity.”

There was initially no information available about the cause of the crash.

Times staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.