Authorities confirmed that three people died on Saturday after the small plane they were flying into collided with a Michigan residential home, leaving the house on fire as its five occupants ran to safety.
The plane crashed at a home in Lyon Township, Michigan, at about 4 pm Saturday, Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said in a statement. The three fatal victims are believed to be the pilot and the two occupants of the plane.
DELAWARE MAN AT WORK TO Hijack MICHIGAN GOVERNOR SEEKS RELEASE
The residence was “totally engulfed in flames”, but five relatives who were at the time escaped injured, said the sheriff’s office. However, the family’s pet cat died in the fire, WDIV-TV reported.
“It was humming low,” neighbor Chase Southwick told Fox 17 West Michigan, describing what happened before the plane appeared to fall from the sky. “It was spinning a little when we heard the explosion.
“There was a huge cloud of smoke, like really high flames,” continued Southwick, detailing how the house hit by the plane caught fire. “We thought the whole house would be gone.”
The victims were identified as David Compo, president of the Southeast Michigan Home Builders Association, his wife Michelle and son Dawson, Michael Stoskopf, the organization’s CEO, in a statement to The Oakland Press. The family had flown to Canton, Georgia on December 29 and was returning home on Sunday when the plane crashed, Stoskopf said.
MICHIGAN TEEN FATALLY ACHIEVED DURING THE RUSSIAN ROULETTE GAME, THE AUTHORITIES SAY
Lyon’s deputies and fire department responded to the scene. The house is located not far from Oakland / Southwest Airport, formerly known as New Hudson Airport, according to WDIV-TV.
“It has always been my biggest fear,” another neighbor, Eric Mullen, told Fox 17. “With the airport there, I knew that one of these planes would have to crash for any reason.”
The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Association and the National Transportation Safety Board.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“A single-engine Piper PA-24 crashed in a residential area in New Hudson, Michigan, at about 4:00 pm today local time. Contact your local authorities for information about the condition and identity of the pilot and any passengers. There are no reports of injuries on the ground, “the FAA said in a preliminary statement, according to WDIV. “The FAA will disclose the aircraft’s tail number when it is verified at the crash site. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be responsible for the investigation and will provide additional updates. Neither agency identifies people involved in the accident aircraft. “
A GoFundMe page was created to benefit the Mudzwova Family, whose home was destroyed by the accident.