A small aircraft crashed into a residential neighborhood in suburban Minnesota on Saturday afternoon, resulting in a massive fire that consumed a house, as per video footage of the horrifying incident. The SOCATA TBM7, which was headed for Minneapolis, crashed around 12:20 p.m. local time in Brooklyn Park, a few minutes before its scheduled landing, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The number of passengers on board the plane at the time of the crash and their fate remains uncertain, according to the FAA. The crash occurred just before 12:30 p.m., as confirmed by an FAA spokesperson. Local authorities have confirmed that no one inside the house that was set ablaze was injured. Emergency services were on the scene, working to evacuate the area, as per local news reports.
The single-engine business aircraft had taken off from Des Moines International Airport in Iowa around 11:12 a.m. local time. It was on its way to Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minneapolis when it crashed approximately 11 miles from its destination, as per the FAA and FlightRadar24. The flight was scheduled to land around 12:36 p.m., according to FlightRadar24.
Video footage from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing from the burning house as onlookers watched fire crews and emergency responders battle the blaze. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz stated in a post on Saturday afternoon that his team was in contact with local officials at the scene in Brooklyn Park and were closely monitoring the situation. He expressed his gratitude to the first responders who were on the scene.
The cause of the crash is still unknown. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the investigation into the incident.