The aircraft, identified as a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35, crashed under unknown circumstances into the Bayside Waters mobile home park, leading to a post-crash fire. According to the FAA, the pilot reported engine failure shortly before the tragic event.
Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers provided details during a news briefing, stating that firefighters responded promptly to the Bayside Waters mobile home park. Upon arrival, they found four trailer homes ablaze, one of which housed the crashed plane. Efforts were underway to control hotspots and recover the bodies of the victims.
Videos of the small plane crash in Florida went viral on the internet
Several videos of the plane crash that took place in Florida went viral and left people in utter shock. Several people reacted to those Florida plane crash videos, stating that the incident was awful and unfortunate. Others reacted by saying there has been a surge in plane crashes lately, and it seems like the year is bad for planes.
It is worth noting that the pilot called for help on the radio with a "mayday" distress call. After this, the plane disappeared from the radar about three miles north of the runway.
Eyewitnesses of the plane crash in Florida said they heard an explosion followed by massive smoke
Eyewitnesses of the Florida plane crash, such as Clearwater resident Steven Ascari, reported hearing what seemed like an explosion followed by a massive pillar of smoke. According to information from city officials, the crash site was identified as the same location reported for a plane experiencing an emergency at a nearby airport.
Audio recordings from LiveATC.net captured the pilot's distress call, indicating engine failure shortly before the crash. Unidentified pilots on air traffic control communication feeds described the impact as a hard landing, with subsequent reports of flames and the aircraft possibly colliding with a house.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into the incident, with an investigator on-site documenting the scene and examining the wreckage. The NTSB emphasized that no speculation about the accident's cause would be made during the on-scene phase.
With over 110,000 residents, Clearwater is reeling from the shock of this unexpected tragedy. Rick Renner, a resident in the vicinity, described feeling the impact in his home and later witnessing the scene of destruction.
A small plane crashed at a Florida mobile home park on Thursday, killing several people aboard the plane and in one home, fire officials said.
The pilot of the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 reported an engine failure shortly before the aircraft went down at about 7 pm, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
It crashed in the Bayside Waters mobile home park in Clearwater, hitting one home and leaving at least three homes with fire damage, although the flames were quickly doused, Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said at a news conference.
“The aircraft was found in the one structure,” Ehlers said.
Ehlers didn't give the exact number of people killed, saying only that several people aboard the plane and in a home died. The FAA said it wasn't clear how many people were on the plane.
Ehlers said the pilot reported an emergency to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport shortly before the plane went off radar about five kilometres north of a runway.
The airport is about 11 kilometres southeast of Clearwater.Federal investigators would examine the scene, authorities said.
