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Smoke and flames rise from an apartment complex in Fresno, Calif., Wednesday after a twin-engine jet slammed in the building, killing two people on board and injuring at least 18 on the ground. The pilot was labeled as a "hero" for steering his crippled Lear jet away from a nearby elementary school moments before it crashed in the street and then plowed into the apartment building, touching off fires and explosions. The plane, which had just completed a National Guard war game, was returning to an airport around noon when the civilian pilot reported engine problems and the plane veered from its flight path, said Air National Guard Lt. Col. James Arthur. Witnesses said the plane, with one engine burning and the other apparently dead, clipped a power pole and crashed into the street. "It looks to me that this pilot was a hero," said Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson.

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