Pilot Killed In Plane Crash Near Opa-Locka Airport
MIAMI GARDENS (CBS4) - Flames and thick black smoke billowed into the sky after a small plane crashed near Opa-Locka Airport.
The crash happened around 8 a.m. when the plane, a Beech Aircraft BE 18 with tail number N18R, slammed through a fence into the side yard of a home in the neighborhood in the area of NW 37th Court and NW 157th Street. The plane stopped less than 10 feet way from the residence.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board the pilot, who had taken off from Opa-Locka Airport bound for the Bahamas with a load of house furnishings, made one transmission to the tower to say that he was having difficulty.
Ionna Collins was driving her husband to work when they heard a noise and looked up to see a plane coming at them.
"It was coming fast at an angle, and in less than 10 seconds, it was on fire," said Collins. "It was a terrible sight."
George Wright, a witness of the crash, said it appeared the plane was struggling to turn back to the airport.
"As it was popping, all of a sudden you didn't hear it anymore. I looked up and saw the plane make a sharp turn," explained Wright. "A sharp dive and it went down."
A car was crushed and a van parked in a driveway was flipped when the plane plowed into them, both were destroyed. The force of the impact tore one of the plane's props from it - it came to rest up against the home. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokeswoman Cristina Armand said one person on the plane, believed to be the pilot, was killed. Only one person was inside the home at the time of the crash, she was not injured.
Firefighters used thick foam to extinguish the flames and contain the spread of the burning fuel. By 8:45 a.m. firefighters had the fire out, the plane reduced to its metal skeleton.
SPECIAL REPORT: Plane Crashes, Burns Near Opa-Locka Airport
Former American Airlines pilot Jay Rollins said the BE 18 aircraft can be used to carry cargo or up to 11 passengers. First built in the 1930s, he said it's a very versatile plane and has been used for everything from spraying fields to landing on lakes after it has been outfitted with skids.
In the 70s, Rollins said the plane had problems with its wing spars. He added that if properly maintained, these types of planes can last a while.
"These aircraft have a lot longer lifespan than you would expect," said Rollins.
A records check shows the plane, which was built in 1957, is owned by 64-year old Harry Trauffer through his company, Aircap Management Co.
Slideshow: Aircraft Crashes Near Opa Locka Airport
"I would like to think the pilot did everything he could to avoid hitting the home," said Rollins.
Rollins said these types of plane use cables for steering control and if those cables were damaged, the pilot would have an extremely difficult time bringing the plane down. He added that NTSB investigators will be going over the crash site with a fine tooth comb and collecting the plane's electronics to determine what caused it to go down.
This was not the first time the Beech aircraft has had a problem.
"I just hoped that he would have survived," said Terrence McHugh who used to do maintenance on the plane.
"I was his director of maintenance for a while, then I resigned," said McHugh.
A pilot himself during the Korean War, McHugh said he left because of persistent maintenance problems involving the pilot.
"He had taken off a number of times with water in the tank," said McHugh.
Federal Aviation Records showed the plane received an air worthiness certificate in 1957; a temporary certificate as issued for it in 2006.
According to an incident report from Master Flight Training Inc. from November, 2007 the BE18 collided with a Cessna Caravan at a taxiway intersection at the Opa -Locka Airport. The Beech aircraft suffered substantial damage, according to the report, but the three people on board were not hurt.
The Cessna also received "substantial" damage but no one aboard it was hurt.
