BIDDEFORD – A small airplane crashed Sunday night into a residential neighborhood, killing the pilot and setting a home on fire.
Arlene Salac, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, confirmed that one person died in the crash, which happened just after 6 p.m.
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Salac said she did not know the pilot’s identity or how many people were on board, but Biddeford Fire Department Capt. John Pothier said at the scene that it appeared that only one person was in the plane when it went down.
The aircraft landed on top of a single-family home at 235 Granite Street Extension. Crews from Biddeford, Saco and Goodwins Mills fought the fire.
The home was unoccupied at the time. Witnesses said the single-engine plane came to rest on the roof of the home, but as the fire grew, the fuselage sank into the house.
“I saw the plane on top of the roof,” said Melanie Tardif, who has lived on Brenton Street for 18 years. “It started to catch on fire and flames were everywhere. The roof started caving in and sinking into the house.”
Tardif said she has always been concerned that something like this could happen.
“It’s a really scary thing,” she said.
The neighborhood is about one mile from the Biddeford Municipal Airport.
Salac, the FAA spokesperson, said she was unable to confirm the pilot’s destination or identity because damage was so extensive that officials had been unable to retrieve the plane’s tail number, which would help identify the owner.
“We have very little information at this point,” Salac said. “All I can tell you is that it’s a small general-aviation aircraft with one confirmed fatality.”
Salac said the National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation.
The home that was destroyed is owned by Kim and Steve Myers.
The couple had returned home to pick up their dog, Jeneva, before heading off to have dinner at her sister’s house. Shortly after arriving for dinner, they received a phone call from neighbors telling them their house was on fire.
The Myerses stood across the street watching firefighters battle the blaze in their four-bedroom ranch. The impact destroyed the garage and front doors, and blew out windows. The Myerses had lived in the home for two years.
“I never once thought something like this would happen,” Kim Myers said. “We enjoyed going out and watching the planes go by.”
Tim Frechette, a Biddeford professional aerial photographer who regularly flies out of the airport, was among the first people to arrive at the crash scene.
Frechette said witnesses told him the pilot was trying to land at the airport when the plane seemed to develop engine trouble.
The plane flew over a nearby cemetery and hit a tree before landing upside down on the roof of the home.
Josh Pelletier, a neighbor, was watching television in his bedroom on Sentry Drive when he saw the plane flying low over his neighborhood.
He lost sight of the aircraft and then heard a bang.
Mark Beaulieu has lived on nearby Bernard Avenue for 33 years. He was taking his dog outside when he heard the engine of a plane stalling out.
“I thought for sure the plane was coming down on Bernard Avenue,” Beaulieu said. “I’ve never seen a plane that low. It scared me.”
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:
dhoey@pressherald.com
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