CLEARWATER, Fla. – A tragic plane crash in a mobile home park in Clearwater resulted in the death of one crewmember and two people inside the mobile home. The incident occurred after the plane departed from the Vero Beach Regional Airport on Thursday evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary report of the incident, providing details of the victims. The identities of those involved have not been disclosed. The Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department received reports of the small plane crash at the Bayside Waters community, just south of Clearwater Mall. The fire department arrived at the scene to assist and found the plane engulfed in flames, causing extensive damage to multiple homes in the area.
The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza V35 departed from the Vero Beach Regional Airport and was scheduled to land at Clearwater Air Park an hour later. Clearwater Fire Chief Scott Ehlers confirmed multiple fatalities from both the aircraft and the mobile homes. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the pilot had experienced an engine failure around 7 p.m., although the number of people onboard the plane at the time of the crash remains unknown.
The crash has initiated investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. As details continue to emerge, the community remains in shock and mourning the lives lost in this tragic event.