BLOOMINGTON (Sept. 18, 2014) – Two men were killed as a result of a small airplane crash in Bloomington Thursday, the Monroe County Coroner’s Office confirmed.
Emergency crews responded to the area near Oard Road and State Road 48 near the Monroe County Airport. A witness told FOX59 she was mowing her lawn when she heard a “boom” and saw a cloud of smoke.
The preliminary investigation has revealed a person aboard the small single engine plane reported a mechanical issue, possibly involving fuel-related mechanisms, to the Monroe County Airport tower personnel. While approaching the airport from the north traveling south, the plane lost altitude and crashed into a small shed and wooded area behind a residence. The plane was immediately engulfed in flames and there were no survivors.
The FAA confirmed the small plane went down short of the runway in a wooded area around 12:45 p.m. A navigation safety inspector said the single-engine aircraft caught fire, badly burning the victims’ bodies. Coroner Nicole Meyer said identifying the deceased will take time and dental records will be needed.
The Monroe County Airport manager told FOX59 the pilot had contact with the control tower about seven miles out. He indicated low fuel pressure. The control tower asked the pilot to contact them again when he was two miles out. He did at three miles out. There were no more transmissions after that.
The control tower operators saw a large amount of smoke and attempted to contact the pilot. There was no response.
At this time, the FAA is not sure where the plane was coming from.
Stay with FOX59 News for the latest on this investigation.
