Michigan, United States: Three people were killed when a small aircraft crashed in a field near Bath Township, Michigan, on Thursday evening. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. near the intersection of Clark Road and Peacock Road, roughly 15 miles northeast of Lansing.
According to Bath Township Police and Clinton County emergency officials, the aircraft went down shortly after radar contact was lost. Responding units found the wreckage engulfed in flames. All three individuals on board were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims, pending family notifications. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are leading the investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
A press conference scheduled for Thursday night was cancelled unexpectedly, reportedly at the direction of the FAA. “We were told by the FAA that the press briefing would not proceed at this time,” a Bath Township official told local station WILX News 10. No reason was given for the cancellation.
Reports from CBS News Detroit indicate that the crash site remains under federal control while investigators examine debris patterns and flight data. Preliminary findings have not yet been released.
According to trackers AirNav Radar and Flight Radar 24, the plane is believed to have been a Mexican-registered Hawker 800XP (XA-JMR), departing from Battle Creek before losing altitude and crashing. However, this detail has not been verified by U.S. authorities.
Residents in the area reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing black smoke billow from the site moments after the crash. “It looked like something out of a movie, just fire and smoke,” one witness told local reporters.
The FAA confirmed it is assisting with recovery operations and will issue a preliminary accident report within the coming days. The NTSB is expected to release an initial summary once investigators confirm aircraft type and flight path data.
