Three people are expected to recover after a small plane crashed on Sunday in Stow, Massachusetts, leading to an ongoing investigation that is being headed up by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The three people were onboard a single-engine Cessna 182 plane, which went down between two houses on Taylor Road after taking off from Minute Man Air Field at around 1 p.m.
Passengers left with 'serious' injuries
The plane crashed on its roof in a wooded area; one of the passengers was able to get themselves out of the plane, and the other two had to be taken out by emergency crews who responded to the multiple 911 calls for the incident.
An ambulance took all three to the airfield, from which they were flown by medical helicopter UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
Officials with the Stow Fire Department characterized the passengers' injuries as "serious but non-life threatening."
Family members speaks out
Norma Lavini told NBC10 Boston that the passengers are her two brothers and 16-year-old niece. She says her brother keeps his plane at nearby Minute Man Air Field.
"I am beyond grateful," Lavini said crying, after officials said it appeared the victims suffered non-life threatening injuries.
"They can move their arms and legs so we're holding on to all of the good things that we're hearing," Lavini added. "So far so good."
Neighbors remember 'scary' plane crash
No one was in the homes near where the plane crashed, police said. A tree knocked over by the plane grazed a home, which received superficial damage.
Julie Morancy and her husband Tye told NBC10 Boston they couldn't believe what they were seeing after the plane crashed in a wooded area right next to their home.
"We knew right away something was bad," Julie Morancy said. "It was scary."
"Unbelievable," Tye Morancy added. "It's right here. I think I ran to where the tape was, stopped and realized I don't have shoes on."
"It was hard to tell who was inside, how many people, and how they were. It just happened so nobody was saying anything," he continued. "It was scary. That was a scary moment."
The Stow couple says they rushed over to the crashed plane to see if they could help.
"The man who was in there was talking to me, and I could see he was in a tough spot and he said he was having trouble breathing," Tye Morancy said, noting he was relieved as soon as he heard the sirens getting closer, knowing that help was on the way.
"I don't know how much time was going by, it felt like time had slowed down," he added. "And then when these guys started showing up I was thankful and was like OK I'm stepping back."
A cause — or suspected cause — has not been shared.
