CLEARWATER, Fla. – A tragic incident occurred when a plane departing from Vero Beach Regional Airport crashed into a mobile home park in Clearwater, resulting in the death of one crewmember and two people inside the mobile home. The Federal Aviation Administration released its preliminary report of the incident Friday morning, revealing the specifics of the victims. The identities of each person have not been released yet.
The Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department (CFRD) said at around 7:08 p.m. units received reports of a small plane crash at the Bayside Waters community, just south of Clearwater Mall. Crews arrived at the scene at 7:15 p.m. to assist. Video from the scene shows the extensive damage, with the plane still engulfed in flames and the surrounding area left in charred debris. Fire rescue said multiple homes were damaged from the crash, with three sustaining fire damage and a fourth with the possibility of fire damage.
The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 departed from Vero Beach Regional Airport at 6:08 p.m. and was scheduled to land at Clearwater Air Park an hour later. Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers said in a news conference that the plane was found in one of the structures, and there were multiple fatalities both from the aircraft and within the mobile homes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said at around 7 p.m., the pilot of the plane reported an engine failure, but it is still unknown how many people were onboard, as of Thursday night.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the incident. This is a developing story, and more details will be provided when they become available.