AKRON, Ohio — Two people are dead after a plane crashed into an Akron home on Thursday afternoon.
The crash occurred around 3:45 p.m. in the 2000 block of Canterbury Circle, a residential neighborhood in the southern part of the city.
Akron Fire said both of the deceased were located inside the aircraft.
No one in the house was injured, but Akron District Fire Chief Sierjie Lash said all four residents were inside at the time of the crash.
RELATED: Akron homeowner escaped with children after plane crashed into home
"There were a couple and two children that live there," Lash said. "They were all four home, and they were able to get out with no injuries, so we're very fortunate that they are safe."
The home caught fire, and heavy black smoke was reported in the area. Lash said crews extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to other homes.
"Definitely smoke, fire, flames and explosion," Lash said. "Our fire crews came out, and they put the fire out as a house fire, and they're currently investigating."
Two homes were evacuated following the crash.
"We put out a fire. We have to make sure the aftermath of that fire, anything that may still be smoldering, we’ll keep taking a look at that,” Lash said.
The Red Cross was on the scene of the crash Thursday and is assisting the four family members impacted by the crash, it said in a Facebook post.
'My heart hurts for them'
Neighbor Christi Gould said she spoke with the family after the crash, and the family told her the father got everyone, including the two children who were napping upstairs, out of the home.
Gould was at home with her children at the time of the crash and said her lights flickered before she heard the plane crash into the home.
“We were sitting there, the power flickered for a few seconds, and then I heard the whining of a plane," Gould said. "We have the regional airport up the street, and so you can hear these planes all the time, and you just heard a real quick whining of it like it was revving and then all of a sudden, ‘boom,’ explosion. And our house shook, and it scared the crap out of us. And everybody started running outside to see what happened and where it was."
A viewer sent us a video she recorded while driving near the neighborhood of a thick cloud of black smoke.
From the woman’s angle, it’s hard to tell what caught on fire until you get up close and see a half-standing home that is completely destroyed in an area Debbie and Gailon Williams say is normally quiet.
"You couldn’t tell what was going on. You just could see the fire,” said Gailon.
While sitting at home, Gailon said he heard a loud noise and immediately called his wife to make sure she was OK.
"He called and said, 'something terrible has happened,' said it shook the house, and there [were] loud booms,” said Debbie. “My heart hurts for them, for something like this to happen and disturb their home.”
Leading up to the crash
State troopers said the plane that crashed was a 1963 Piper Cherokee, a fixed-wing, single-engine airplane.
Investigators said it took off from Akron Fulton Airport.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, the plane departed Akron Fulton at 2:03 p.m., then flew south before turning back to the north en route back to Akron Fulton Airport.
Just after 3:30 p.m., air traffic control recordings captured the pilot radioing that he was two miles north of the airport, lining up to land.
According to the recording, the pilot canceled that landing, calling out “88 whiskey going around.”
On the recording, there was no explanation why that landing was canceled, but the owner of a flight school at the airport said high winds were an issue at the airport, so much so that her school, American Winds College of Aeronautics, canceled all flights because of the wind.
On the air traffic control recordings, the pilot again can be heard lining up for a landing around 3:43 p.m.
It’s the last time the plane is heard from on the recording.
There was no mayday call or alert to other pilots that something was wrong.
Two minutes later, the plane crashed into the home, which was just a few miles from the runway.
FAA records show the airplane was owned by EchoAviation Holding, a limited liability company with an Akron mailing address.
According to FlightAware, Thursday’s flight was the plane’s ninth flight this week.
Flight tracking showed most were short trips around Northeast Ohio.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash and have issued the following statement:
"A Piper PA-28 crashed into a house in Akron, Ohio, around 3:45 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 14. Two people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates."
The Ohio State Highway Patrol also sent a statement:
"The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that a 1963 Piper Cherokee single‑engine aircraft crashed into a home off Canterbury Circle in Akron, west of Interstate 77, at approximately 1545 hrs. The aircraft had departed from Akron Fulton Airport, located east of the crash site. The impact caused a structure fire, and all occupants of the residence were able to escape safely.
There were two occupants of the aircraft, both of whom sustained fatal injuries. No injuries have been reported to bystanders on the ground.
The crash remains an active investigation, and troopers, local law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel continue to assess the scene. Residents are encouraged to avoid the area while emergency crews remain on site. More information will be provided when it becomes available."
Thursday's crash occurred across the street from a Topgolf, which said it evacuated its building as well. The following statement was sent to us:
"We’re aware of the unfortunate incident that has occurred across the street from our Akron venue and are actively working with local authorities as they assess the scene and investigate. The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and the venue has been evacuated. We have no further details to share at this time, given the ongoing nature of the investigation, and our primary focus remains on the safety and support of all impacted during this time."
The Akron plane crash was the second aviation emergency in Northeast Ohio on Thursday. Earlier in the day, an airplane experienced landing gear failure but made a successful landing at the Geauga County Airport in Middlefield, according to a release from the Geauga County Board of Commissioners. No one was injured, and there was no major damage to the plane.
