At least three people were killed Thursday evening after a small plane crashed at a mobile home park in Florida.
The FAA confirmed that the pilot and at least two people on the ground died as a result of the crash.
As emergency services continue their investigation, that number could increase.
The pilot reported an engine failure before the single-engine plane crashed into a mobile home, sending debris flying and setting at least three additional properties on fire.
The plane disappeared from radar and the pilot reportedly radioed a “mayday” before the crash.
At least three people were killed Thursday evening after a small plane crashed at a mobile home park in Florida
The FAA confirmed that the pilot and at least two people on the ground died as a result of the crash
First responders found four trailer homes on fire, one of which contained the crashed plane, city Fire Chief Scott Ehlers (pictured) said during a news briefing Thursday evening
Firefighters were called to the burning crash site at the Bayside Waters mobile home park, about 37 miles west of Tampa, around 7:15 p.m. local time.
First responders found four trailer homes on fire, one of which contained the crashed plane, Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said during a news briefing Thursday evening.
“I can confirm that we have several fatalities both from the plane and in the mobile home,” Ehlers said, but could not provide an exact number of casualties that evening.
It is not yet clear how many people were aboard the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 aircraft itself.
Eyewitnesses described a large explosion before smoke and flames engulfed the area.
“We heard a racing engine,” Janet Barclay told the New York Times, “and then an explosion.”
Firefighters are responding to the fire after a small plane crashed Thursday evening
The pilot and two people on the ground were killed when the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 crashed in the Bayside Waters mobile home park around 7 p.m.
Fire destroys a house after a small plane crashed on Thursday evening
An aerial drone shows the scene of Thursday’s plane crash in Clearwater, Florida, on Friday
Authorities are trying to determine how many people died when a small plane crashed at a mobile home park in Florida
Investigators examine the burned remains of a mobile home after a plane crash Thursday
Firefighters destroy hotspots after a small plane crashed into a mobile home on Thursday
Delivery driver Laketa Collins described seeing a ball of bright, white light falling into the dark sky from her car window nearby.
Clearwater resident Steven Ascari said he heard what sounded like an explosion as his entire house began to shake.
“And before you knew it, a giant column of smoke was seen,” he recalled to CNN.
Some neighbors report at least four deaths.
“Four souls crossed from the plane,” a resident of the mobile home park, Noreen Adams, wrote on Facebook on Friday.
“We’re not sure how many people are in the house,” she continued. “There’s still smoke wafting towards the bay we’re in.”
The majority of the community is made up of elderly people with health problems, she added.
Clearwater Police attended the crash site and did their best to secure and preserve the accident scene
Firefighters were called to the burning crash site at the Bayside Waters mobile home park
It is not yet clear how many people were aboard the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 aircraft itself
The pilot reported an engine failure and disappeared about three miles north of an airport runway, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson told CNN.
Clearwater police visited the crash site and worked to secure and preserve the crash site, Chief Eric Gandy said during the briefing.
Footage from the scene showed plumes of red smoke billowing from several mobile homes as shocked residents waited in a nearby car park.
Other videos posted on social media show firefighters struggling to battle the blaze with hoses as flames engulf homes and surrounding trees.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.