CLEARWATER, Fla. – A tragic incident unfolded in Clearwater, Florida, when a small plane crashed into a mobile home park, claiming the lives of three individuals. According to the Clearwater Police Department, the crash resulted in a fire that engulfed multiple units within the Bayside Waters community.
Reports from the FAA confirmed that one crew member on the plane and two individuals on the ground lost their lives in the tragic accident. The pilot had reportedly issued an emergency call to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport before the plane disappeared from radar, approximately 3 miles north of a runway.
The small plane, identified as a single-piston Beechcraft 35 Bonanza, had departed from Vero Beach Regional Airport and was scheduled to land at the small Clearwater Air Park. The crash not only resulted in the loss of lives but also caused significant damage to the surrounding mobile homes.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying experience, with one 72-year-old man recounting how he was thrown to the floor amidst the chaos of the crash, narrowly escaping with his life. The harrowing event left him covered in insulation and broken glass, with his mobile home and the adjacent trailer both destroyed in the aftermath.
Emergency crews were immediately dispatched to the scene, where they worked to contain the fire and assess the extent of the damage. The local authorities are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the plane crash and the circumstances leading up to the tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those affected by this devastating event.