One Killed, One Crawls To Safety After Fiery Plane Crash
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (CBS) – A small plane burst into flames Tuesday afternoon after crashing in East Hartford, Conn., killing one man and seriously injuring another.
A Piper PA 34 aircraft crashed on East Main Street in East Hartford around 3:40 p.m. One occupant died. The other was able to escape from the plane's wreckage.
East Hartford Lt. Joshua Litwin told reporters the surviving passenger was transported to St. Francis hospital where he was cooperating with investigators.
"It's always tragic when we have an incident such as this. But it certainly could have been a lot worse," said Litwin.
The two men had come from a flight school. FAA officials said the plane was making its final approach to Hartford-Brainard Airport.
Two people in a nearby van were taken to an area hospital. They were said to have been traumatized by the incident, but not injured.
Witnesses reported seeing heavy smoke and flames coming from the area where the plane crashed.
The FBI, NTSB, State and local law enforcement are investigating the incident. Authorities said a portion of Main Street could be shut down for days.
