Yesterday morning plane crash in Ashtabula County has left one dead and another severely injured, as reported by FOX19. The Ohio State Highway Patrol stated that the crash happened around 10 a.m. near SR 307, west of Sexton Road in Geneva. Upon their arrival, troopers discovered the plane engulfed in flames. Struck a tree before it hit the ground, the aircraft was a Zenith 701 single-engine plane.
According to Fox 8 News, Lt. Timothy Grimm of the Ashtabula Post confirmed the call concerning the plane crash came in at 10:11 a.m. The Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office, being first on the scene, verified two people were on board after the plane went down not far from Germack Airport in Geneva. There was a wing that had been thrown from the plane, finding a man beneath who screamed, a man was discovered on fire from the waist down – the wing had apparently been removed to help him.
In the wake of the tragedy, one individual was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim suffered severe burns but is expected to recover, as per the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s statement to FOX19. The names of those involved have yet to be released, pending notification of next-of-kin. An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
A neighbor, Joe Mace, provided a harrowing account of the aftermath. He told FOX19, “The next thing you know, we heard a loud boom, so we went out on the front porch”. Fire and smoke were seen rising from the area where the tree was struck by the plane on the west side of his property. Flaming debris scattered across the yard, Mace proceeded to aid a man calling for help beneath the aircraft's wing, which was igniting the man's lower half.
This incident has once again brought forward the realities of small aircraft travel and their safety within local communities. As authorities piece together the events leading to the crash, their findings will be crucial in determining the cause and potential measures for preventing future disasters. Further updates are expected as the Ohio State Highway Patrol continues its investigation, which News 5 Cleveland noted.
