A small private aircraft carrying five people crashed and burst into flames in a Pennsylvania retirement home’s parking lot on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the fiery impact, all five passengers survived, though their conditions remain unknown, reported news agency Associated Press. All on board were transported to local hospitals. While multiple vehicles were destroyed, no one on the ground was hurt.
The accident happened around 3 PM near Brethren Village, a retirement community in Manheim Township, about 75 miles (120 km) west of Philadelphia.
Brian Pipkin, a witness driving nearby, saw the aircraft suddenly veer left before nosediving. “It just went straight down, nose first,” he told reporters. “Then there was an immediate fireball.”
Pipkin immediately called 911 and rushed to the scene. His video footage showed black smoke rising from the wreckage and several cars on fire. The plane barely missed a three-story residential building in the retirement community.
A fire truck from Lancaster Airport arrived within minutes, with additional emergency crews following soon after. The intense heat and smoke, made it difficult for firefighters to contain the flames. In total, about a dozen vehicles were damaged.
The aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, had reported issues before the crash. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot reporting an “open door” and requesting to return for landing. The controller cleared the plane to land but then urgently instructed, “Pull up!” Moments later, the aircraft crashed.
The plane was set to take off from Lancaster Airport, just north of the crash site, and was en route to Springfield, Ohio, according to FlightAware.
This incident comes just a month after a tragic air ambulance crash in Philadelphia killed seven people. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will investigate the crash, which follows a deadly midair collision in January and a series of plane crashes nationwide.
