A small plane crashed on Wednesday morning in a residential area in northern Phoenix, Arizona, USA, according to reports. The FAA stated that the plane, a Piper PA-28, crashed just before 7:30 local time when it was about to land at Deer Valley Airport. Aftonbladet reported that a small plane crashed into the backyard of a Phoenix home just minutes after takeoff. The Daily Mail reported that a mechanical issue caused a Piper P-28 plane to crash into a home when the pilot turned around just six minutes after taking off from Deer Valley Airport on Wednesday morning. However, the cause of the crash is officially unknown, and the FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident. The specific mechanical issue that may have caused the crash has not been determined.
Fire Captain Todd Keller described the crash sequence, stating the plane crashed into the roof of one home at around 7:20am, damaging a baby's room and a second bedroom, before it fell into another home's backyard. The plane ended up lying in the backyard of one of the houses, with parts scattered across the yard and on a house roof. Keller noted that the child wasn't in the room at the time, but the broken wing leaked gasoline into the home. He was quoted saying, 'We do have fuel leaking into that attic right now, creating a fire hazard.' The gasoline leak prompted a hazmat crew response and forced people to evacuate their homes.
According to police, three people were injured in the crash. Three people were taken to the hospital: the flight instructor, a student, and a homeowner. Fire Captain Todd Keller stated that a student pilot and an instructor were on board and were able to climb free from the wreckage, and they were both hospitalized. The instructor and the student had minor cuts and burns but were conscious when the rescue service arrived, and the homeowner was taken to the hospital for a check-up. A man in one of the two homes was also injured and hospitalized, listed in stable condition. The exact identities and conditions of the injured individuals beyond these descriptions are not yet fully known.
American Red Cross spokesperson Georgi Donchetz stated that two people from each home were told to vacate and went to a neighbor's home. Four dogs were also moved from the area. Donchetz noted that the Red Cross is helping the families whose homes were damaged and was quoted saying, 'They seem to be in good spirits, considering everything. Shows how important it is to step up for your neighbors and be there.' The full extent of property damage and estimated repair costs has not been released.
Witnesses described the dramatic scene. One witness said, 'It was a big bang. It sounded like, almost like a bomb went off, or someone slammed their trash can really hard.' Another witness stated, 'My kids were the first ones to find it, and they looked out the window and saw all the action was already here, so I'm glad everybody's safe.' Fire Captain Todd Keller reflected on the outcome, quoting, 'In situations like this, when several homes are involved and there are houses where people come and go, it's a miracle that no one in the area was injured.'
A notable perspective came from Austin Carlson, a student pilot and nearby resident, who said, 'I looked at the tail number of the plane and realized that I actually was going to fly in that plane and get my pilot's license. I didn't feel safe and the plane was too old for my liking. My parents weren't comfortable with my flying in a plane that's, you know, very old. I was very grateful that I didn't choose to fly the plane in the end, but I was also sad for whatever happened and whoever was involved in it.' FlightAware data indicated the plane was from 1968.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident. Whether there were any violations of safety regulations or maintenance issues with the plane will be part of that inquiry. The timeline for the FAA and NTSB investigation results is not yet specified. The National Transportation Safety Board, which typically leads investigations into significant aviation accidents, will work alongside the FAA. Deer Valley Airport, from which the plane departed, is a general aviation airport in Phoenix. The Piper PA-28, also referenced as a Piper P-28 in some reports, is a common single-engine aircraft used widely for training and personal flight. The Phoenix Fire Department responded to the scene along with hazardous materials crews.
In summarizing the event, in Phoenix in the US state of Arizona, a small plane crashed shortly before the airport and landed in a garden, with two residential houses damaged and three people injured.