A cargo plane narrowly missed slamming into a suburban home in Londonderry, New Hampshire, with the pilot surviving what officials called a "really lucky day." The Beechcraft 99 aircraft, heading from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to Presque Isle International Airport in Maine, went down earlier approximately 70 feet from a residence on Colonial Drive, reported by the Boston Herald.
Despite serious injuries, the sole occupant and pilot managed to call 911 while trapped in the debris-strewn woods behind a house. "Right on where the lawn of this residence met the tree line of the woods, so it was very, very close," Londonderry Fire Chief Bo Butler described the crash site during a press conference, attributing the information to an interview with NBC Boston. The pilot was subsequently rescued and taken to a local hospital then transferred to a Boston hospital.
The accident occurred around 7:30 a.m., not long after the plane had taken off. The Manchester airport communications center had already been alerted to a "pending aircraft emergency," by air traffic control, as stated by a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are set to investigate the incident.
Londonderry first responders and airport representatives worked together to secure the crash site. A Hazmat team was called in to handle approximately 250 gallons of jet fuel that were on board the downed plane. Chief Butler emphasized the pilot's fortune, saying, "He ought to play the lottery, for sure," as reported by the Boston Herald. The fire chief also noted the challenges faced by rescue teams due to the compromised fuselage.
