Ohio, United States: Two people were killed after a small single-engine aircraft crashed into a residential home in Akron, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon, triggering a massive fire and prompting a federal investigation into the cause of the accident. Authorities confirmed that the victims were the two occupants onboard the aircraft, while a family of four inside the house escaped safely without injuries.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft involved was a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, identified in several reports as a 1963 Piper Cherokee. The aircraft crashed into a home on Canterbury Circle at approximately 3:45 p.m. local time after departing from Akron Fulton Regional Airport, located only a few miles from the crash site.
The identities of the two deceased occupants had not been officially released as of the latest updates. Authorities also have not disclosed whether the flight was private, instructional, or recreational.
The Akron Fire Department said a couple and their two children were inside the residence when the aircraft slammed into the garage area of the house. All four managed to escape unharmed before flames engulfed parts of the structure.
Akron Fire Department District Chief Sierjie Lash confirmed during a press briefing that no one on the ground suffered injuries.
“There were a couple and two children that lived there. They were all four home, and they were able to get out with no injuries, so we’re very fortunate that they are safe,” Lash said.
Emergency responders initially treated the incident as a residential structure fire after receiving multiple calls reporting explosions, heavy smoke and flames.
“We got a call that residents saw a plane going down into the house,” Lash said. “We got more calls that people heard explosions.”
Residents in the neighborhood described hearing a loud whining sound moments before the impact.
Neighbor Christi Gould said power briefly flickered before the crash. “We were sitting there, the power flickered for a few seconds, and then I heard the whining of a plane,” she said, adding that a loud explosion shook nearby homes seconds later.
Another resident, Jewell Ulrich, described seeing the aircraft debris scattered between homes after the crash. “That fire was instant,” Ulrich said. “It was so hot.”
Her husband, Steve Ulrich, said the aircraft’s tail section remained lodged near the garage area after the impact.
Videos circulating on social media showed thick black smoke rising above the suburban neighborhood while flames consumed parts of the residence.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the crash. The NTSB will lead the investigation and is expected to release a preliminary report in the coming days.
As of now, officials have not confirmed the cause of the accident. No distress call, mechanical failure, weather issue or pilot-related factor has yet been officially identified.
Authorities also evacuated at least one neighboring home as a precaution while investigators assessed structural damage to the impacted residence.
