Teen on Snapchat captures moment plane crashes into Ohio apartment complex; up to 9 feared dead

AKRON, Ohio (AP)  --The owner of a small business jet that crashed into a northeast Ohio apartment building says there were nine people aboard. Authorities have confirmed two deaths but say they're not expecting any survivors.

The Akron fire department says investigators are trying to independently determine how many people were on the 10-seat plane when it went down Tuesday.

Plane owner Augusto Lewkowicz says two pilots and seven passengers were on the flight from Dayton to Akron Fulton International Airport, 2 miles from where the crash happened.

Authorities say a mass-fatality team will begin working Wednesday morning to sift through the wreckage and recover bodies. Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are due at the scene.

Witnesses say they heard explosions when the plane hit. Carrie Willis lives several blocks away and says she heard a big bang and her couch shook.

 

The Hawker H25 small jet was on approach to Akron Fulton Airport when it crashed into a building around 3 p.m., an FAA spokesman said. The crash happened in the area of Mogadore and Skelton roads, according to WJW.

Paige McVeigh was on Snapchat when the crash happened. She tweeted video that shows the moment the plane crashed into the apartment building.

McVeigh says the building consists of three buildings. The middle building was struck by the plane. According to McVeigh, no one was inside the apartments when the crash happened.



The fire department told WJW it appears the pilot and co-pilot both died in the crash.

Employees at a nearby construction company said they heard a low-flying plane, then what sounded like a car hitting a telephone pole. When they went outside, they saw flames and black smoke.

Witnesses told WJW the plane clipped an apartment building before going down.

Within moments, fire trucks and ambulances were at the scene. Workers at the construction company ran down the street to try to help.

FAA investigators are on their way. The National Transportation Safety Board will be in charge of the investigation.