A small plane crashed into a home in northeastern Ohio on Thursday evening, killing both occupants of the aircraft, authorities said.
The Piper PA-28 crashed into a home in Akron around 3:45 p.m. EDT, according to a Federal Aviation Administration incident statement, which said two people were on board the plane.
Akron is home to about 190,000 people, about 40 miles south of Cleveland.
Akron District Fire Chief Sierjie Lash told reporters in a press conference from the scene that both people in the plane died. The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office was en route, she said.
The identities of the victims have not been made public.
Firefighters responded to calls of a plane crashing into a home at 2238 Canterbury Circle and found heavy smoke wafting from the building, she said, adding that residents were home when the incident occurred, but no one was injured.
Residents of the home and a neighboring residence were evacuated, city officials said.
“Crews are still on the scene, please avoid the area,” the city said in a statement.
According to aviation traffic tracker FlightAware, the plane had departed Akron Fulton International Airport at 2:03 p.m. and appears to have been heading back when the crash occurred. The airport is located a handful of miles from the crash site.
The FAA said it and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB serving as the lead agency.
“My heart is with the families impacted by the tragic plane crash in Akron today, as well as the first responders working this devastating scene,” Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes, a Democrat representing Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, which includes Akron, said in a social media statement.
“I am closely monitoring the developments and keeping everyone affected in my prayers as authorities work to learn more about what happened.”
