An aircraft with Mexican registration crashes in Michigan and leaves three dead
A corporate jet took off from Battle Creek Executive Airport in Michigan and flew northeast before crashing with three people on board.
Three people were killed after a small plane crashed in Ingham County, Michigan, Thursday night, authorities said.
The aircraft crashed around 5 p.m. near the intersection of Clark Road and Peacock Road, according to the Bath Police Department. Emergency services found all three passengers on board dead.
The crash is being investigated by federal agencies amid complications from the federal government shutdown, which could impact the speed of the investigation and public communication, Newsweek reported.
Photos of the incident, released by local media, showed thick smoke and flames rising from the wooded site where the small plane crashed.
Data from the flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 shows that a Hawker 800XP corporate jet took off from Battle Creek Executive Airport in Michigan and flew northeast before ending up in an area north of Interstate 69. The website said the plane was scheduled to return to the same airport.
The Aviation Safety Network reported that the plane was registered in Mexico. “ADS-B data shows the aircraft began a sudden descent from an altitude of 15,000 feet and crashed within 30 seconds,” it said.
“Preliminary information suggests the aircraft was conducting a stall test following maintenance,” the website said.
The crash occurred about 15 miles east of Capital Region International Airport, which has three to seven departures daily. An airport spokesperson told CBS affiliate WLNS in Lansing that the incident did not cause any disruptions to its services.
The Bath Township Police Department in Michigan said in a news release: “Three passengers were confirmed to be on board the aircraft. All three passengers were located and confirmed deceased. The cause of the crash and their intended fate are unknown at this time.”