Two people were killed Thursday afternoon after a small plane crashed into a home in Akron, sparking a fire and sending a large plume of black smoke into the sky.
The crash happened around 3:45 p.m. near Canterbury Circle, west of I-77 and across from the Topgolf area. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the aircraft was a 1963 Piper Cherokee single-engine plane that had departed from Akron Fulton Airport before crashing into the home.
Authorities say the two people on board the plane were killed. Their identities have not yet been released. Viewer Jim Ring got video of the crash after it struck the home.
Four people, including two children and a dog, were inside the home at the time of the crash, but all were able to escape safely. Akron fire officials said no one inside the house or on the ground was injured.
The impact caused the home to catch fire, with heavy smoke and flames reported in the neighborhood. Fire crews were able to extinguish the blaze and keep it from spreading to nearby homes. Two homes were evacuated following the crash.
A listener shared video showing thick black smoke rising from the area as emergency crews responded.
Neighbors described hearing a loud boom and feeling their homes shake. One nearby resident said her lights flickered before she heard the sound of the plane and then an explosion. Another neighbor said the area is normally quiet and that the crash left residents shaken.
Investigators tell News5 Cleveland the plane had taken off from Akron Fulton Airport earlier in the afternoon and was attempting to return before the crash. Flight tracking information showed the plane departed around 2:03 p.m., flew south, then turned back north toward the airport. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot lining up to land before later going around. Officials say there was no mayday call before the crash.
Authorities believe wind may have been a factor. A local flight school reportedly canceled flights that day because of high winds.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
