A jet crashed into homes in South Bend, Indiana on Sunday, leaving two people on the plane dead and at least one person on the ground injured as well.
The private jet crashed into a group of residential homes, striking three of the houses, Capt. Phillip Trent of the South Bend Police Department told CNN.
The two killed in the crash were on the plane, but at least one of those injured was on the ground. FAA spokesman Roland Herwig noted that there were only four people aboard the Hawker Beachcraft Premier 1 twin-jet plane.
One of those injured was listed in serious condition on Sunday night, while the two others were listed in fair condition, a spokesperson at Memorial Hospital in South Bend noted.
The full details of the crash were not yet released, but CNN affiliate WNDU reported that the pilot radioed for help after experiencing an equipment failure. The pilot reportedly tried to land the jet but failed.
The jet that crashed in Indiana had departed from Tulsa, Oklahoma and was headed to South Bend Regional Airport.
The plane crash rattled neighbors on the quiet Sunday afternoon.
“We thought a house was on fire on the next street, cause it was just blowing and it was like ash that was going through the air, little pieces,” said Florence Retek, who lives nearby. “It was a loud noise and it sounded like a truck had crashed and then we looked out the front window, door and there was smoke.”
Another neighbor said the jet’s engine was still running after the crash and the smell of jet fuel thick in the air. Police evacuated the neighborhood for fear of the gas leaking from the plane’s ruptured fuel tank.
Remnants of the Indiana jet that crashed into the homes could still be seen on Sunday night as crews worked to recover the pieces, some of which were still lodged in the houses.
