A small plane crashed Sunday morning into the yard of a home in Pasco County near Tampa, killing one person and sparking a fire that damaged the residence, authorities said, CBS News reported.
The crash occurred in a neighborhood in Wesley Chapel, according to local officials. The victim was the only person on board the aircraft.
Pasco County public information officer Sarah Andeara said the impact ignited a fire on the property and caused damage to the home. Flames were extinguished by approximately 10:30 a.m. ET.
Video captured by a neighbor's security camera showed a plume of smoke rising from the crash site shortly after the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed they are investigating the crash. The NTSB is leading the probe and said one of its investigators was en route to the scene.
According to the agencies, the aircraft — identified as a Cessna — departed from Tampa North Aero Park earlier Sunday and crashed around 8:35 a.m. local time under unknown circumstances.
"Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft," the NTSB said in a statement. The wreckage will later be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
Local officials are responsible for identifying the victim and releasing further details. The NTSB said it does not speculate on the cause of accidents during the early stages of an investigation. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
Christina Galbiati, the neighbor with the security camera, told 10 Tampa Bay News that she first saw the plane flying fine until she noticed it getting closer to the neighbor's yard.
"My kids were in the back screaming," she said. "I was very taken aback, very tragic."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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