Neighbors In Shock After Plane Crash Kills Mom & 2 Kids
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (WJZ) -- Searching for answers. Investigators continue looking for clues as to why a private jet came crashing down into a quiet residential neighborhood, killing three people in the jet and three people on the ground. Meanwhile, neighbors are stunned and saddened.
Derek Valcourt has more from the neighborhood where the plane crashed---and the concerns that this could happen again.
It's certainly not the first time a plane has crashed at the airport but it is the first time many who live nearby have started seriously questioning their own safety.
The crash of a Phenom plane into a home marks a change in the way those who live in the neighborhood feel about the nearby Montgomery County Airpark.
"It's scary now. It wasn't scary until now," said one.
"I just didn't think it would really happen," said a neighbor. "It crosses your mind."
In fact, since the mid-90s, there have only been a dozen plane crashes at the airport. This is the first time someone on those planes has died and the first time a plane has struck a nearby home.
"And it's been busier and busier. I'm surprised this hasn't happened. We kind of half-heartedly joke about this. Everybody is the neighborhood [says] `Hope we're not home when this happens' type thing and sure enough, there were people home," said Jim Siron.
"It's such a rare occurrence that it's not likely they would change flight patterns," said aviation law attorney Keith Franz.
Franz has handled many high-profile plane crash cases. He says initial information suggests this plane stalled, which can indicate the plane was coming in too slowly. Investigators will look to the plane's black box for answers.
"They won't tell you they are ruling out other possibilities until they have all of the evidence and that's appropriate but everything I've seen is pointing to the pilot," Franz said. "More likely, the pilot had a variety of things on his mind and may not have been fully aware of the danger of his speed."
For now, many are left wondering if they're safe living so close to the runway, which sees more than 100,000 small plane and jet flights come and go every year.
Other Local News:
