WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (WSVN) — The pilot of a small plane was killed when it crashed in a neighborhood north of Tampa, officials said.
Pasco County Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the crash along Aldus Drive in Wesley Chapel, Sunday morning.
Officials said the twin-engine aircraft plummeted to the ground, causing it to burst into flames.
Residents recounted the scary moments when the plane went down.
“I had my headphones on, and then out of nowhere, it’s like the entire house just shook, and I just, like, saw this big wave of orange coming through my bedroom window,” said Brandi Smith.
The plane crashed right next to Cheryl Korth’s home.
“I heard metal against metal, I heard the plane coming in, and then, of course, I heard it crash, and then I saw all of the flames and everything,” said Korth.
Korth said she rushed over to the wreckage.
“I went out with my little fire extinguisher and got some of it that was coming on my porch,” she said.
Crews were able to put out the flames. One home was damaged by the fiery crash.
The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was on board the Cessna 401B involved.
Korth believes the pilot’s final actions were heroic.
“I don’t know who the pilot was, but I think that he knew what he was doing. My opinion is that maybe he was having engine trouble, and he steered it so that he didn’t hit our houses,” she said. “I mean, they came very close to their house, too, next door.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are attempting to determine what led to the crash. Investigators will recover the aircraft for further evaluation.
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