Three people have sadly died after a small plane crashed into a set of mobile homes on Thursday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration said today.
The crash took place at around 7pm and fire crews worked through the night to reduce the temperature of hot spots and to aid victims.
The victims include one person on the aircraft and two others who were on the ground, the FAA added.
Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said the small plane mostly collided with one of the homes. Three homes have seen fire damage, he added, and people managed to get out of the other homes nearby.
The pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza V35 reported engine failure before the tragic crash, the FAA has clarified. The pilot reported mayday at a nearby airport and then the small plane went off the radar around 3 miles north of the runway, where the park is located.
Witness Rick Renner, who lives in the Florida neighborhood told NBC‘s Today Show his house “shook” after the impact.
He said: “We heard what we thought what was like a motorcycle go by or something. Then a few seconds later it was a loud bang, the windows actually shook, the house shook.”
Following the noise, he ran to the crash site and caught footage of the mobile home engulfed in flames.
“Even after the fire was out, you really couldn’t even tell there was a plane in there, everything was just gone” he said.
Renner added: “It’s just weird that something like this happens in your neighborhood,” saying all in the community were “friends”.
Debris from the crash has scattered across the site, with birds-eye footage showing thick plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky.
However, Ehlers said he expected to see more injuries and damage after a plane crash in a compact area. He told reporters at the scene, considering the circumstances, “we were very fortunate”.
The National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
