A tragic incident unfolded in Washtenaw County on Monday when a small plane crash resulted in one fatality and left another person injured. The crash, involving a single-engine Piper PA-28, occurred near the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport at approximately 1:10 p.m., as reported by CBS News Detroit.
Michigan State Police have identified the deceased as a 46-year-old flight instructor from Dearborn. The survivor, a 22-year-old University of Michigan student originally from North Carolina, was badly hurt and had to quickly be extricated from the wreckage and airlifted to the University of Michigan hospital for treatment, according to The Detroit News.
The aircraft, registered to Silvered Wings LLC in Howell, crashed into a vacant farm field in Bridgewater Township, a locale about 30 minutes southwest of Ann Arbor. Ken Krause, a resident, witnessed the aircraft's descent, stating, “It was strange because I didn’t hear a motor, I didn’t hear anything,” and described the unsettling silence before the plane took a nosedive, as revealed in an interview with The Detroit News. Krause’s call to 911 brought first responders to the scene.
Evidence so far indicates the flight was intended to be instructional, carrying both the instructor and his student at the time of the crash. As recounted by Krause, other people rushed to the crash site, and when they returned "they told me the pilot was still breathing,” a chilling confirmation of life amidst the wreckage. Investigations into the cause of the accident are set to continue as experts from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are slated to diligently arrive on the scene, noted MLive Michigan. The general public has been advised to stay away from the crash vicinity to allow for the investigation to unfold unimpeded.
The NTSB is expected to lead the investigation, with an investigator initially anticipated to arrive by Tuesday to thoroughly examine the downed aircraft. The condition of the injured student, who was receiving medical care after the incident, has not been widely disclosed.
