You would never expect to get a phone call from the fire department that someone has crashed a plane into your home. However, this was the case for one homeowner outside of Austin, Texas on Sunday. A small aircraft smashed into a two-story home while the residents were away. All three people onboard the plane survived but were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the Independent, a single-engine Beech BE35 suffered an engine failure on approach to Georgetown Executive Airport, about 30 miles north of Austin. The occupants were returning to Georgetown after eating breakfast 96 miles away in Kerrville, Texas, a pretty unusual breakfast run. However, they never made it back to the airport as they crashed into an unoccupied home on the 500-block of North Wood Drive in Georgetown.
City of Georgetown Battalion Chief Scott Gibson speculated that the descending plane veered away from hitting an apartment complex. Gibson said to the newspaper, “I believe he just had to make that split-second decision and ditched it into a single home instead.” The fire chief also noted that the house was minimally impacted by the crash.
The biggest concern after the plane crash is the fuel. Fuel from the Beech BE35 has leaked from the attic all the way down to the first floor. Chief Gibson noted, “We’ve eliminated most of ignition sources that are around. We’ve cut the power to the house.” Hopefully, the clean-up and repair work isn’t too lengthy and the residents can return quickly. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.