A twin-engine plane with a lone pilot experienced left engine failure before crashing into a residential property south of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Tuesday, police said.
The pilot’s desperate efforts to regain control of the aircraft were unsuccessful, resulting in the pilot losing their life and igniting a fire in an unoccupied house, according to Santa Fe New Mexican. Video footage shows nearly half of the house was reduced to ashes.
The pilot allegedly alerted authorities to mechanical difficulties shortly after 9 a.m., reported the Santa Fe New Mexican. Within 30 seconds to a minute of the distress call, the plane plummeted to the ground. Dispatchers began receiving calls about a crash only a couple of minutes after the plane left the airport, Santa Fe County Sherriff’s Office (SFCSO) told the local outlet. “Scene is active. PIO headed to the scene and will provide additional information,” New Mexico State Police (NMSP) wrote on Twitter.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have taken over the investigation, according to KOAT. (RELATED: Pilot Passes Out While Flying, Passenger Steps Up To Save The Day)
“You have to be absolutely correct to handle that airplane, particularly if it loses one of its two engines, then you have to do a series of manipulations with the controls in the cockpit to ensure you can continue to fly the aircraft,” Former NTSB and FAA Accident Investigator, Alan Diehl, told KOAT. “If you miss set any of these or mismanage any of these, you can easily lose control of the aircraft.”
SFCSO implemented temporary road closures and advised the public to avoid the area surrounding the crash site.