Oh, I don't know…
I wonder what went wrong? Instumentation? Inexperienced pilot?
Guess we'll have to wait and see what comes out of the investigation.
Posted on 08/04/2003 7:15:33 AM PDT by mhking
GROTON, Conn. - A small airplane crashed into three homes Monday and set two on fire before landing in a river, killing both people on board, police and aviation officials said.
The plane slammed into the homes in the Poquonock River Bridge section of Groton while approaching a nearby airport. Everyone in the homes escaped, Fire Marshall Michael Richards said.
"People were running down street, and all I could see was blazing fire and smoke and people running up and down the street," said Pauleatha Glover, 55. "It was en explosion, you know, I thought somebody had blown up the Poquonock River Bridge."
Nobody on the ground was seriously hurt, but one woman who jumped from a window of her one-story home was being treated for minor injuries, officials said.
Ross Finlayson, 17, said he saw the plane hit the houses and "spin into the boardwalk."
"It started like cartwheeling into the boardwalk," Finlayson told WVIT-TV. "It hit the boardwalk and just flipped over into the other side of the river. It caught the river on fire. There was an explosion."
The Learjet went down about a half-mile from the runway at Groton-New London Airport, Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) spokesman Jim Peters said. He said it had taken off from Farmingdale Republic Airport on New York's Long Island.
Catherine Young, the Groton airport's manager, said the plane was on its second approach when it went down. The crash happened 20 minutes before the tower opened, and airport officials were using recordings of air-to-ground communication to piece together what happened, she said.
"The pilots announced something about coming to the airport, but it was garbled," she said.
The FAA and state Department of Environmental Protection were on the scene.
The plane is registered to Jetpro LLC, a corporation based at New Hyde Park, N.Y.
It must have been a cut, because it sure couldn't have been much of a jump.
I know that this is a tragic story, but your post cracked me up, lol.
Oh well...
Oh, I don't know…
I wonder what went wrong? Instumentation? Inexperienced pilot?
Guess we'll have to wait and see what comes out of the investigation.
Surprised the "Everything is terrorism!" crowd hasn't noticed that Groton, CT is a nuclear sub homeport.
It's dubious whether you could do anything to a nuke plant with an aircraft of ANY size; a Lear Jet would do absolutely nothing.
Few airports are in unihabited areas; when planes crash (and they do, and even did so prior to 9/11, and, believe it or not, ACCIDENTALLY most of the time) they're going to end up hitting houses.
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The pilot and passenger were reported killed. A police representative, and aviation officials, said that a Learjet crashed into at least three houses in the Poquonock Bridge section of Groton. After hitting one of the private homes, the plane crashed in the Poquonock River. The home was located on Providence Court and caught on fire after being hit by the plane, NBC30's Susan Goodman reported.
"There are hundreds of people observing what happened," Goodman said.
Goodman reported that when the plane landed in the water it broke apart.
One witness told NBC 30 that he observed the plane hit the house, cartwheel and crash into the boardwalk, and finally end up in the Poquonock River at about 6:45 a.m.
"We saw the plane hit three houses and spin into the boardwalk," a 17-year-old witness said. "It started like, cartwheeling into the boardwalk. It hit the boardwalk, and just flipped over into the other side of the river. It caught the river on fire. There was an explosion."
Federal aviation officials are reported to be on the way.
NBC 30's Alex Boyer reports from the scene that smoke can be seen rising from the area of the reported crash.
Officials said that the plane was flying from Long Island to Groton Airport. The multi-engine plane, a Learjet 35, is registered to Air East, a charter company in Farmingdale, New York.
Both bodies have been recovered. It does not appear that the area is being evacuated, NBC 30 reported.
For more top stories of the day, visit the News Page
For the latest news, stay tuned to NBC 30 Connecticut News and NBC30.com
Plane Down In Groton, Two Killed
The Associated Press
August 4, 2003, 10:41 AM EDT
GROTON, Conn -- A small plane hit three homes and crashed into the Poquonock River on Monday, killing both people aboard, police and aviation officials said.
No one on the ground was seriously injured.
Gloria Aldana leaped from her burning home when the plane hit the one-story house, her husband said.
"She got panicked and jumped out the window," Edwin Aldana said. "She's doing OK -- some bruises, some pain, some muscle pain."
Firefighters and police responded at about 6:40 a.m. to the Poquonock River Bridge section of Groton. Pequonock Bridge Fire Marshall Michael Richards said the plane hit three homes, setting two of them on fire before landing in the river.
"People were running down street, and all I could see was blazing fire and smoke and people running up and down the street," said Pauleatha Glover, 55. "It was an explosion, you know, I thought somebody had blown up the Poquonock River Bridge."
The Learjet 35 was flying to Groton-New London Airport from Farmingdale Republic Airport on Long Island, N.Y., Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said.
Catherine Young, the airport's manager, said the plane was carrying a pilot and a co-pilot and was on its second approach to the airport when it went down.
The crash happened 20 minutes before the tower opened, and airport officials were using recordings of air-to-ground communication to piece together what happened, she said.
"The pilots announced something about coming to the airport, but it was garbled," she said.
Their names were not immediatly released.
The multiengine plane, which can carry up to eight passengers, is registered to Jetpro LLC, a corporation based in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Ross Finlayson, 17, said he saw the plane hit the houses and a boardwalk before flipping into the river.
"It did a cartwheel," said Finlayson. "It exploded. It clipped over the top of that house and went right through the next house. It was crazy."
The pilot crashed about half a mile from Runway 23, where he was landing, Peters said.
"We heard the airplane go by. We always hear airplanes, but this was like 10 times louder," said 16-year-old Jennifer Abby.
She heard the crash and her father ran to the back porch, where he saw his neighbor's house in flames.
"They were huge," Perry Abby said.
The FAA and state Department of Environmental Protection were on the scene.
There had been thunderstorms in Connecticut Monday morning. But Young, the airport manager, said there was no rain or fog in the area when the plane crashed.Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.
This will make sense of all the coincidences
A “lear” jet crashes in CT? Hmmmm…..Norman Lear was born in Connecticut!
That’s not all…Norman Lear is a member of People for the American Way (PFAW).
PFAW are against the William Pryor Nomination.
William Pryor is accused of being a religious zealot.
Religious zealots commit terrorism.
No we see it all! Terrorists did this!
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Doh!(Serves me right for making a joke I guess)
"She got panicked and jumped out the window," Edwin Aldana said. "She's doing OK -- some bruises, some pain, some muscle pain."
Good point. There are no couples in their 20s named Gloria and Edwin.
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Learjet Crash Kills Two