At around 10 a.m. Thursday morning, a small plane crashed into a home near Laurel, Maryland.
The plane, which was a Beechcraft Musketeer, was reported seen flying low, and hit a tree before plummeting into a mobile home. Luckily, no one was inside the home when the crash occured.
The plane had taken off only minutes earlier from the Suburban Airport located only about a mile from where the crash occurred. Witnesses say that the plane was sputtering and smoking, and wasn’t gaining enough altitude.
Neighbors say, that although they live close to the airport, nothing like this has ever happened before, but they believed that it was bound to happen at some point.
I heard sputtering noises, then just a big bang and that was it. It was going to happen sooner or later — these planes fly so low all the time.
-Andy Smith, neighbor
The pilot, 70-year-old Ronald H. Dixon, was transported to the hospital at Maryland Shock Trauma Center, and was said to be in critical condition but conscious and alert.
Dixon was pulled from the plane, by a man who lived in the subdivision, Joe Arrington. “I was standing in the kitchen of my home and I heard a loud boom,” said Arrington. “I immediately smelled gasoline or something and this guy was hurt really bad. So I immediately yelled ‘call 911′ really loud and panicky now. Let’s get him out of here’ is what I stated. Dragged him from that plane about 25 feet,” he continued. “I further comforted him told home name told him 911 was on the way.”
No fire broke out after the crash, however firefighters sprayed a protective foam across the scene to prevent one from starting. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the Maryland State Police will be conducting an investigation as to why the plane crashed.
