Posted on 06/11/2010 3:58:40 PM PDT by Migraine
At about 2 pm on Friday, June 11, a small plane, apparently taking off from Springerville airport crashed into the Round Valley High School's main building. Shortly after the crash, there was an explosion that was rattled windows all over town. It is suspected the plane's fuel tank exploded.
The first person on the scene was James Nelson Jr., Eagar councilman. "I was driving down Main Street and saw a small plane that was too low and wobbling. It went down near the High School so I pulled in and saw it had crashed into the roof. There were pieces of the plane scattered over the roof and in the parking lot."
Nelson said that 3 other people helped him try to get into the building, but the doors were locked as they were leaving the plane exploded.
Police and fire departments from 40 miles away were called to the scene. The area around the school was being evacuated as a precaution as there are several large propane tanks in that area of the school. Pete Brown was also driving down Main Street and saw the plane. "It was way too low and wavering back and forth. I heard the explosion and saw the fireball." Brown also said he saw a wing on fire in the parking lot.
It is not known if anyone was in the building at the time, although there was a Forest Access rally scheduled for this evening in the auditorium next door. Candidate for Governor Dean Martin was scheduled to speak at the rally along with Senator Sylvia Allen, candidate Rusty Bowers, and candidate JD Hayworth.
No information was available about the plane or how many were on board. We will bring you further updates as they come in.
Another angle here is that some very conservative political speakers were to have appeared in the auditorium where the plane did the damage.
Will comment more as I learn more.
Fingers crossed and hands folded...
Apparently the HS was empty? School is out or after school?
Hope the building was empty. Sorry for the pilot.
Best to assume its just a crash for now. Small planes do crash very often.
Yes. School is out. Thank God.
Hayworth.... hmm
Is school still in session in AZ? It’s not here...
After Beslan, anything is possible. Glad to hear school was out.
” Small planes do crash very often. “
Most small planes crash only once....
Unless not done correctly the first time.
From KVOA.com http://www.kvoa.com/news/breaking-news-plane-crashes-into-eastern-arizona-hs/
UPDATE - Authorities say a small plane has crashed into a high school in a small eastern Arizona town, but there are no initial reports of injuries on the ground.
Apache County sheriff’s Commander Matrese Avila says the small Cessna crashed into the Round Valley High School in Springerville early Friday afternoon. Officials were evacuating homes in the neighborhoods east and north of the school.
School was out for the summer. Avila did not have information about how many people may have been on board the plane or if there were any survivors.
Springerville is about 200 miles east of Phoenix.
SPRINGERVILLE - Authorities say a small plane has crashed into a high school in a small eastern Arizona town, but there are no initial reports of injuries on the ground.
Apache County sheriff’s Commander Matrese Avila says the small Cessna crashed into the Round Valley High School early Friday afternoon.
Officials were evacuating homes in the neighborhoods east and north of the school.
School was out for the summer.
Avila did not have information about how many people may have been on board the plane or if there were any survivors.
I’m guessing the pilot was aiming for the track? Track & field track.
Oh gosh... this is something I fear, my kids school lay in the flight path of the runway of our small air-park. You can darned near read the tire pressures they fly so low at times..... Had one nearly land in our subdivision one morning. The pilot freaked, rammed the throttle to full and gained altitude, then left the valley with out landing. Scared the crappola out of us for sure!
Prayers for the Pilot, I hope he made it....
Ahmmmm,,, as a "small plane" pilot,, we do NOT crash very often, if we did, it would not make the news, much like all the car crashes that never make the news.
LOL true.
I live just a few miles from MIS and race weekends are the usual weekends for plane crashes. Lots of small airports in the area and lots of private aircraft in and out of the area over the next couple of days. The closest airport to the track requires landing under some high voltage lines.
We’re in an RV park about 40 miles away in Show Low, AZ
Drove by that high school day before yesterday. It’s apparently the only high school in the US that has its own domed stadium.
Sounds like a suicide pilot.
Plausible, I suppose, but that’s not a very big space and it often has obstructions.
Crashing your plane is bad but crashing it, having the insurance company fix it up and give it back can be worse.
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