Harrowing video captured the scene in unincorporated Deerfield after a small, single-engine plane crashed into a residential area, leaving part of a roof torn off and the pilot of the plane killed.
The small plane, a Cessna T210 crashed about 9:45 p.m. in the 800 block of Swallow Street near Milwaukee Avenue, with witnesses and neighbors describing the frightening moments.
“We saw the light sorta coming in, and then we saw it come in and go straight down,” one neighbor said. “We knew it was a plane crash right away. We tried to check in on the pilot, but the cockpit was destroyed.”
Cell phone video filmed by witnesses showed the small plane in nearby trees, steps away from a home’s fence and bench.
According to officials, the plane crashed down near a row of townhomes, where a worker for the property says about 900 people live. Authorities said the plane struck a roof and two gas meters as it came down, with Nicor responding to the scene.
The plane had departed from Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, and was heading to Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The pilot was pronounced dead on the scene, with no other people aboard and no other injuries reported.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said the structural damage did not require any residents to evacuate their homes.
“Investigators are also looking to see maybe if the pilot’s actions helped avoid a more serious crash into the homes that were occupied at the time,” Covelli added. NBC 5’s Lisa Chavarria reported from the scene that investigators were also looking into whether foggy conditions and low visibility played a role.
The small aircraft struck the roof of one of the townhomes and damaged two gas meters as it went down in unincorporated Deerfield. Lisa Chavarria has more.
Early Thursday morning, photos and video from the scene show a large emergency response, with firefighters, emergency responders and firetrucks in the area through the overnight hours. Yellow caution tape was blocking off an area of the Park West subdivision, with emergency vehicles still in the area.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
