Authorities confirmed that three people were killed Saturday after the plane they were flying in crashed into a house in Michigan and set the house on fire when the five residents rushed to safety.
The plane took care of a home in Lyon Township, Michigan, around 4 p.m. Saturday, Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said in a statement. The three dead were apparently the pilot and the two occupants of the plane.
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The residence was “completely engulfed in flames”, but five family members who were at home at the time injured it, the sheriff said. However, the family’s pet cat died in the fire, reports WDIV-TV.
“It was buzzing pretty low,” neighbor Chase Southwick told Fox 17 West Michigan, describing what happened before the plane took off. ‘It circled a bit when we heard this explosion.
“There was a huge cloud of smoke, like very high flames,” Southwick continued, explaining how the house hit by the plane caught fire. “We thought the whole house was gone.”
The victims were identified as David Compo, president of the Home Builders Association of Southeast Michigan, his wife Michelle, and their son Dawson, Michael Stoskopf, the organization’s chief executive, in a statement to The Oakland Press. The family flew to Canton, GA on Dec. 29 and were back home Sunday when their plane crashed, Stoskopf said.
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Delegates from Lyon and fire brigade responded to the scene. According to WDIV-TV, the house is not far from Oakland / Southwest Airport, formerly known as New Hudson Airport.
“It’s always been my biggest fear,” another neighbor, Eric Mullen, told Fox 17. “With the airport there, I knew that one of these days one of the planes would have to leave for whatever reason.”
The cause of the crash is still being investigated by the Federal Aviation Association and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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“A Piper PA-24 engine crashed in a residential area of New Hudson, Michigan at about 4pm local time today. Contact local authorities for information on the condition and identity of the pilot and any passengers. There is no report of ground injuries, “the FAA said in a preliminary statement, according to WDIV.” The FAA will release the aircraft tail number when it is verified at the scene of the accident. The FAA and the National Council for Transport Safety will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide additional updates. No agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents. “
A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit the Mudzwova family, whose home was destroyed by the accident.