LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Two people remain hospitalized after a float plane crashed in Lakewood on Tuesday afternoon.
The single-engine AVIAT A-1C-180 crashed around 12:10 p.m. in the 11200 block of Greystone Drive.
Both people were transported to area hospitals. West Pierce Fire & Rescue said the patients were in serious condition. One was airlifted to a hospital and the other was taken by a medic unit.
According to data from tracking service Flightaware, the plane took off from Olympia Regional Airport around 11 a.m. It flew north toward Tacoma, where it eventually made a touch-and-go landing. The plane made a second touch-and-go landing at Steilacoom Lake before crashing in the yard of a home near the lake.
Aviation Risk Assessment Expert Todd Curtis told KING 5 it appears the aircraft "clipped the top" of a tree before crashing. According to Curtis, the aircraft is normally what is known as a tail-wheel airplane that takes extra practice to be qualified to fly.
“This particular aircraft is designed to be a short takeoff and landing aircraft and it’s often used for backcountry flying,” said Curtis.
“As a floatplane, it doesn’t have wheels, it has two big floats underneath and if you’re trying to land this on anything other than water, it could be a problem under the best circumstances,” said Curtis.
The homeowner helped save the pilot, according to West Pierce Fire. He removed the pilot from the plane because the passenger was unable to get him out. He took both individuals into his home to avoid the flames while waiting on first responders. Neighbors of the man say he's a doctor.
The airplane itself was destroyed in a post-crash fire.
“It was definitely cracking like a wind storm and things blew apart and all the stuff hit the house then it was bam and I heard the plane crash,” said Jay Peterson, who lives next door to where the plane crashed.
Peterson had just stepped back into his home when the floatplane crashed. He ran outside to find the plane engulfed in flames.
“I was frightened. I didn't know if it was going to explode or the fire was going to spread,” Peterson said.
Peterson said he often sees floatplanes fly over as Lake Steilacoom is just hundreds of yards away.
The plane narrowly missed Peterson’s home. Debris scattered his backyard after he said the plane hit a tree and then crashed in his neighbor’s front yard.
“Lake Steilacoom is a shorter take-off and landing area so they come over here right over these trees," Peterson said. "It always scares me when they do that that they're going to do something like what happened today and clip one of those trees and come down."
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
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