Midway Airport Plane Crash Literally Hits Home
A Midway Airport plane crash last night struck very close for some. The aircraft hit a home in the area, where fortunately nobody was harmed except for possibly the pilot.
The Southwest Side Chicago area was rocked when the cargo plane attempted an emergency landing at around 2:45 a.m. The aircraft had departed Runway 31C on its way to Chicago Executive Airport in Palwaukee, when the pilot reported engine problems and tried to turn around and go back, according to FAA Spokesperson Elizabeth Corey. The plan fell short about a quarter mile away when the plane struck a home in the 6500 block of Knox Street.
A neighbor, 62-year-old Luz Cazares, said she saw the scene shortly afterward.
“A big part of the airplane was in their living room. I jumped the fence and knocked on the back door of the kitchen; I thought they were dead.”
According to The Chicago Tribune, Fire Chief Michael Fox reports crews were called to the site of the Midway Airport plane crash mere minutes after it happened.
“The first company on the scene found a small two-engine plane had crashed into a 1 1/2 story frame house. Two elderly victims in the house were removed and checked out by EMS. They’re both fine.
“We got reports from the Midway tower that there’s only one person on the plane. We have not located that person yet.”
Firefighters managed to stabilize the home as they searched for the pilot and evacuated the man and woman living there, as well as two other homes next to the crash site. The rear of the cargo plane was found resting on the roof of the home directly south of it, while the bulk of the plane had gone through the living room and dining room, and into the basement of the home it struck.
Couple in their 80s were VERY lucky when a small plane crashed into their house near Midway: http://t.co/rnCPB8YQHJ pic.twitter.com/9jFSrR8tQe
— Mark LeBien (@marklebien) November 18, 2014
Another neighbor, 24-year-old Jocelyn Mejia, told the press she saw the Midway Airport plane crash happen from her bedroom window.
“I was already up, tossing and turning, and I heard the plane and then I heard a crash.
“I kind of knew what it was and then, sure enough, like two minutes later I heard the fire trucks. I didn’t feel shaking or anything, it was just a loud bang. It scared me.
“It’s crazy. It’s right down the street. I didn’t think anything like that would happen, even living by the airport. We were really lucky. Everyone here is really lucky.”
FAA and NTSB investigators are continuing to look into the Midway Airport plane crash, and nothing is known about the pilot for now.
[Image via Leopardo]
