San Diego doctor involved in deadly plane crash en route to Yuma
A small plane crashed in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego Wednesday morning, killing the sole occupant on board.
The fixed-wing Cirrus SR22T departed Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport and went down around 6:30 a.m.
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The plane crashed shortly after the departure, as witnesses saw the plane travel east at a low altitude before crashing into a construction area at a business, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner.
We spoke with Robert Serocki, who confirms with us that his brother, Dr. John Serocki, was the sole occupant on the plane . The San Diego Medical Examiner also confirmed the identity of the pilot as Dr. John Serocki.
“Something was wrong with the plane and he tried to turn around. He was not high enough to deploy a parachute,” Serocki added.
Robert Serocki recalls the moment he received a phone call from his brother’s San Diego office.
“After this person said he was on his way to Yuma, that’s when I said ‘oh my God are you telling me he’s dead?’ I sank to my knees and sank to the floor completely and she cried and said ‘yes’,” Serocki said with a broken voice.
There are no reports of people on the ground being injured, according to Ian Gregor, FAA Public Affairs Manager.
The plane was headed to Yuma, according to Gregor.
Online records show that the plane is registered to John Serocki, an orthopedic surgeon based at Scripps La Jolla Hospital. According to the official Scripps site, we’ve also learned that he has an office at 1763 W. 24th Street in Yuma.
The office in Yuma had a sign on the door this morning that read: “Sorry for any inconvenience due to an emergency we will be closing the office for the rest of the week. Thank you.”
Yuma Regional Medical Center reached out to us, sharing their heartfelt condolences following the tragic death of “a surgeon and friend, Dr. John Serocki.”
Dr. Serocki practiced in Yuma part time. His career as an orthopedic surgeon extended more than 25 years. During that time, he was notably recognized for his strong work ethic and compassionate manner with patients and staff, YRMC said.
“This is a difficult day for everyone at Yuma Regional Medical Center, particularly for our surgery staff, who is grieving the loss of a special colleague and friend,” said Dr. Robert Trenschel, President and CEO of YRMC
The FAA and NTSB are investigating.
