1 killed in South Florida plane crash
FORT MYERS, Florida —One person was killed and another seriously injured when a small airplane crashed into a vacant building in Fort Myers, Florida, early Saturday morning.
The plane had apparently just taken off from nearby Page Field, a business and general aviation airport, when it crashed into the side of a building. The site of the crash contains a child care center open Monday through Friday.
"I can confirm that there was absolutely no Chico's employees on-scene at the time of the crash, and no injuries to anyone who is employed there," said Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno.
The plane was a Piper PA-28 airplane, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Rick Breigtenfeldt.
The PA-28 is a single engine plane that has been manufactured since the early 1960s. An FAA registry lists several that are based at Page Field. It has undergone modifications and changes in model style over the years.
There have been several plane crashes involving the PA-28 over the years, including a crash in November, 2011 that killed the coach and assistant coach of the Oklahoma State women's basketball team.
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a crew to the scene of the crash. The Lee County Sheriff's Office and Port Authority Police are also investigating the crash. The FAA is also investigating.
In the hours following the crash, planes took a flight path that was a couple of thousand yards north of the crash scene.
The rear wings on the tail of the plane were all that were visible to passersby. The building that the plane crashed into is barely visible from the street. Two large holes were visible at the top of the building facade
Several emergency vehicles, sheriff deputies and investigators remained present for hours after the crash.
At the time of the crash, planes were flying under visual flight rules at Page Field. The 7 a.m. flight weather report listed visibility of 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet altitude and scattered clouds at 15,000 feet. Winds were variable at just three knots.
Primary investigation into the cause of the crash lies with the NTSB, which looks at a variety of factors, including the condition of the aircraft and its engine and the human factors involved in the flight.
On getting word of a plane crash, the NTSB sends an investigator to the scene, along with other experts from the FAA and often the manufacturer of the airplane, said Peter Knudson, an NTSB spokesman.
A preliminary report is generally available within a few weeks and then revised before it is reviewed by NTSB management and adopted the official cause of a crash.
The safety board itself retains the authority to conduct hearings on any but has formally delegated authority to approved recommendations for general aviation accidents to top management.