CLEARWATER, Fla. – According to the Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department, ‘Several fatalities’ were reported after a small plane crashed into a mobile home park in Clearwater on Thursday evening.
Clearwater Fire & Rescue, the Clearwater Police Department, and multiple other fire departments and law enforcement agencies are on the scene of a small plane crash at Bayside Waters, formerly known as Japanese Gardens Mobile Home Park on U.S. 19 south of Clearwater Mall.
Multiple residences caught fire after the crash, officials say.
The call came in at 7:08 p.m., and the first fire crews arrived seven minutes later.
“Simultaneously, there was a report of an aircraft having an emergency at the airport, which the aircraft response vehicles responded to,” Ehlers said.
Ehlers said the tower at the airport got a radio transmission from the pilot that he was having a “mayday, mayday, mayday.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilot reported an engine failure. FAA officials have not released details about how many people were on board when the plane crashed.
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Officials said there were ‘visually’ several fatalities but did not elaborate pending the FAA investigation.
Pagoda Drive within the park is where the bulk of activity is located.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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