The crash of a small plane in Florida left several people dead earlier this week. The Thursday night crash was likely a result of engine failure prior to a full investigation.
Authorities are not sure about the exact number of people killed due to the crash, but early efforts indicate that individuals both on the ground and on the ground were killed as a result. A Beechcraft Bonanza V35 crashed in Clearwater, Florida after nightfall following the pilot reporting engine failure.
The crash occurred at the Bayside Waters mobile home park, and the plane apparently struck one of the structures. According to the local fire chief, the incident resulted in “several fatalities, both from the aircraft and within the mobile home.”
Video of the scene showed the contrast of smoke and flame during the night. The video footage appeared to show no survivors aboard the aircraft.
Multiple mobile homes on fire after small plane crash in Clearwater, Florida. Number of victims not yet known pic.twitter.com/Pxzg9UMbxw
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 2, 2024
It is currently unknown how many people were aboard the aircraft.
The scene received a full emergency response from local officials, who were soon joined by federal investigators.
The home that was struck by the plane caught fire. It also caused damage to three other homes. Despite the initial crash and fire, the first responders were able to put out the flames quickly.
The crash will be followed by a more thorough investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). More information is expected to be released in the coming days and weeks. A more thorough federal investigation will likely take months.
There has been a general decrease in the number of fatal air crashes in recent years. However, there have been a number of similar events, including from a number of privately-piloted aircraft.
Commercial air travel saw its first year of zero fatalities in 2017. The result was during the first year of the Trump administration. This decline occurred despite 303 fatalities from commercial air travel the previous year in seven million flights.
