A PLANE has crashed into a retirement village parking lot and burst into ferocious flames while carrying five people.
Emergency services rushed to the residential neighborhood in Manheim, Pennsylvania, to find black smoke filling the skies.
x/@nicksortorThe wreckage burned away in the parking lot[/caption]
A huge cloud of black smoke filled the skyx/@nicksortor
x/@nicksortorThe plane narrowly missed smashing into buildings[/caption]
The plane avoided smashing into buildings by mere meters, but appeared to have landed on top of cars.
The light aircraft came down in the parking lot of Brethren Village Retirement Home, just off the Lititz Pike road, around 3pm on Sunday.
The FAA said there were five people onboard the plane, described as a Beechcraft Bonanza.
It is thought to have taken off from Lancaster Airport – less than a mile away.
According to audio from Air Traffic Control, the pilot told the Lancaster Airport control tower that one of the doors was open, so he needed to “return for landing.”
ATC cleared the plane to return, but a few seconds later urged the pilot to “pull up”.
Footage posted to social media shows a wreckage burning fiercely amongst parked cars, with sections of the metalwork disintegrating.
Nearby cars can also be seen blazing away, and the plane’s tail appears to be propped up on vehicle.
Huge jets of water can be made out, shot into the flames by fire fighters.
It is not yet known if anyone was injured, or how many passengers were onboard.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said: “Our team at [Pennsylvania Police] is on the ground assisting local first responders following the small private plane crash near Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township.
“All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.”
Manheim is just south of Lancaster, south-east Pennsylvania.
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