A small twin-engine plane tore through a cornfield and slammed into a house along Township Road 523 in Montgomery Township on Monday afternoon, injuring the pilot and his passenger but leaving the home's lone occupant unhurt. The crash happened around 2:40 p.m. as the aircraft, flying from Illinois toward Pennsylvania, reportedly experienced a possible engine failure mid-flight.
The plane has been identified as a 1968 twin-engine Beechcraft Baron B55, according to Cleveland 19 News. It was piloted by 74-year-old Richard J. Nardone of Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania, with 25-year-old passenger Christina M. Stephens of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, aboard. The aircraft was traveling eastbound from Vermilion, Illinois, to Scranton, Pennsylvania, when it reportedly experienced a possible engine failure, per the same account.
According to WKYC, troopers responded to the crash scene on Township Road 523 in Montgomery Township Monday afternoon. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported the crash and the resulting injuries, the station said.
Plane's Path Cut Through Cornfield Before Hitting Home
The aircraft first struck a cornfield before continuing into a private yard, where it struck a residence, Cleveland 19 reported. It ultimately came to rest in an adjacent farm field after plowing through the property.
Nardone and Stephens both sustained minor injuries in the crash. They were treated and released at the scene by Ashland Fire & EMS, per the station's report. One person was inside the residence that was struck by the aircraft but was not injured, authorities said.
Multiple Agencies Responding to Investigate
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the crash, which remains under investigation as officials work to determine what happened. The patrol was assisted at the scene by the Ashland County Sheriff's Office, Ashland Fire & EMS, and the Federal Aviation Administration, the outlet's report notes.
No cause has been confirmed beyond the reported possible engine failure, and investigators have not released further details on what led to the loss of power. Nationally, the FAA's General Aviation Safety Fact Sheet has tracked annual general-aviation accident and fatality figures for years, estimating 195 accidents and 337 fatalities for fiscal year 2024, according to the FAA. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics also compiles decades of National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident data, per the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
For now, Ashland County residents are left with a damaged cornfield, yard and home, and a community grateful that a frightening midair emergency didn't end in tragedy. Authorities have not indicated when a final determination on the crash's cause might be released.
