Pilot weighs in on Hot Springs plane crash
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – New details are coming out about a plane crash that happened in the middle of a Hot Springs neighborhood.
The Federal Aviation Administration released the first preliminary crash Thursday morning on Wednesday afternoon, occurring around 2:40 P.M. Wednesday at the corner of Bell St & Oakwood Avenue near Oaklawn.
Small plane crashes into Hot Springs neighborhood near Oaklawn, 2 people injured
The report did not list a cause for the crash, but it did give the plane’s identification number. The number matches a plane shown in the flight school section of the website for Lord Aviation, a Hot Springs-based business.
The company did not respond to calls or messages Thursday, but one unaffiliated pilot said he was impressed both women in the plane walked away from the fiery crash with only minor injuries.
“When you see a video like that, it’s usually like you are going to hear that someone died,” Chris Graef said.
Woman catches aftermath of Hot Springs small plane crash on doorbell camera
He was watching a video recorded from a doorbell camera across from the crash site. Graef, a pilot and former flight instructor, said the distance required to stop a small plane, such as the Piper PA-28-180, could be two to three football fields, not one empty lot.
“I’d say they are definitely lucky to be alive and to land in a small strip of land like that around a populated area would be very difficult and challenging,” Graef said.
He added the trees the plane struck before landing could have cushioned some of the blow but even doing that was a risk.
“These planes they are made out of aluminum and very light medals, so I mean it would just pretty much fall apart depending on how hard the impact was,” Graef said.
Pilot makes emergency landing in northeast Arkansas field
The plane was removed from the crash site for further investigation Thursday. Graef said the fact no one outside the plane was injured is remarkable.
“Going through someone’s house or hitting a car on the road that’s happened before…Honestly, I think that’s something maybe short of a miracle,” Graef said.
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