BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A small plane crashed into a house and adjacent hangar in a southern Illinois subdivision built for aviation enthusiasts late Sunday, and two people aboard the aircraft were missing, fire officials said.
Signal Hill Fire Chief Greg Render told the Belleville News-Democrat that the plane was bound for St. Louis Downtown-Parks airport in Cahokia, just south of St. Louis and about 18 miles from the crash site in Belleville.
Render wouldn’t confirm that the two people were killed, but he said the accident did not appear survivable. Nobody on the ground was injured, and no one was in the house at the time of the crash.
A fire started after the crash and engulfed the hangar. As many as 75 firefighters were battling the blaze.
Render said the plane crashed about 6:40 p.m. in the Aero Estates Court subdivision, where homes have hangars and private runways. The plane was traveling from Vero Beach, Fla., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Neighbors said they didn’t think the plane was associated with the subdivision.
Neighbors reported seeing a fireball when the plane hit. Richard Pasqualine, 59, a resident in a nearby subdivision, said he heard what sounded like a sonic boom, then a less intense explosion afterward.
Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, bnd.com
Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.
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