Two Killed When Plane Crashes into Brooklyn Park, MN, Neighborhood

Pioneer Press
(TNS)

A small airplane crashed Saturday near Crystal Airport in Brooklyn Park, killing the plane’s two occupants.

The plane crashed and caught fire shortly before noon in Southbrook Park near 62nd and Florida avenues North, according to Brooklyn Park police.

Brooklyn Park firefighters responded within minutes and put the fire out, said Inspector Matt Rabe, of the Brooklyn Police Department.

“Unfortunately, everybody on the plane perished,” he said.

Preliminary information shows that the plane crashed shortly after taking off from the nearby Crystal Airport, he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on its website that two people were on board.

The park borders a residential neighborhood and several neighbors heard the crash.

Amoni Thomas, who lives a few houses away from the park, said he heard an engine sound growing increasingly louder and then a “boom sound.”

He was outside in a car and saw massive flames erupt in the park.

“I turned around and it was a big mushroom smoke cloud,” he said.

Steve Walker, who lives nearby, felt the impact and rushed outside to find a ball of fire. He was the first one in the park and said seconds later “the plane just melted. As I got closer, a big flame out out like a jet flare.”

Steve Walker lives a few houses down across the street from the park he “felt it happen” heard the boom and went outside and he could see the plane on fire. He immediately went into the park and walked over to the plane. as he got closer he said “the plane just melted. As I got closer, a big flame came out like a jet flare”

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, along with the FAA, said the plane was a Beech F33A.

Rabe said that the Brooklyn Police Department is keeping the scene secure until the NTSB and FAA investigators arrive. The scene may remain secured for a few days, Rabe said. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, which was on scene, will confirm and release the identifies of the occupants, Rabe said.

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