Parts of a small plane were left dangling from a Phoenix rooftop after the aircraft slammed into a home minutes after takeoff, tearing through a baby’s bedroom and sending three people to the hospital.
The aircraft went down around 7:20 a.m. near Cave Creek Road and Deer Valley Drive after departing from nearby Deer Valley Airport, FOX10 Phoenix reported.
The pilot was heading west when an unknown problem forced him to turn back toward the airport, Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller said. The plane instead struck a house, shearing off part of the roof, before dropping into a neighboring yard beside a swimming pool.
A witness described hearing “a big bang” at the time of the crash.
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“It sounded like, almost like a bomb went off, or someone slammed their trash can really hard,” the witness said.
Home surveillance video captured the moment the plane crashed. Aerial footage of the aftermath showed wreckage scattered across the roof, including a wing, while the fuselage sat crumpled in the backyard.
A man inside one of the homes was injured and taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to the report. A student pilot and instructor aboard the plane managed to climb out of the wreckage but were also hospitalized.
The crash ruptured the aircraft’s fuel system, triggering a hazardous materials response as gasoline leaked into the first home hit.
Fire crews said the plane caused significant damage to a baby’s room and another bedroom. The child was not inside at the time.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the crash.
