RAY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Officials say a small aircraft crashed in Ray Township on Sunday afternoon.
Macomb Sheriff’s Office tweeted that a plane attempted to take off and crashed after being 75 feet off the ground.
More detailed update: Police detail what happened when small plane crashed in Macomb County, injuring 3
According to the tweet, a dog and three people were in the aircraft at the time of the crash. Officials say that the people on board have severe injuries and burns. They were taken to a hospital to be treated. The dog that was on board is currently missing.
What was supposed to be a fun time in the sky turned into a horrific accident on the ground.
Plane crash in Ray Twp. Plane attempted take off and crashed from approx 75’ off ground. 3 persons on board with severe injuries and burns. All taken to hospital. One dog missing at this time. MCSO currently investigating.
— Macomb Sheriff (@MacombSheriff) July 24, 2022
“To hear this happen is very scary,” said Tracy Stefanides, who lives nearby. “I’m hoping everybody’s OK and doing well.”
Investigators are now sifting through the wreckage to figure out what went wrong on a flight that severely burned three on.
Stefanides lives only half a mile from where the plane went down at Ray Community Airport.
“It saddens me,” she said. “There’s just no words. I just feel for that family you know, they’re probably just taking a quick trip to go somewhere maybe up north or just for a quick trip around to go for a flight and to have this happen is just it’s completely heartbreaking.”
At this point, there’s no telling what may have caused the plane to crash.
But footage from Sky 4 shows the wreckage burned to a crisp, including the plane’s Fuselage. The plane didn’t even make it all the way into sky, falling from about 75 feet into a fiery impact.
“I heard the sirens earlier today and, OK like, something’s going on around here. So I went on Facebook. So I drove down to see,” Stefanides said.
Stefanides wonders what that could have been like for everyone onboard, knowing something wasn’t right on the way down.
“There’s nothing they can do,” she said. “I have thought about that as I’m watching them flying over top of me and you do think of that.”
“A single-engine Beechcraft A36 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ray Community Airport in Ray, Mich., around 3 p.m. local time Sunday. Three people were aboard. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates.”
FAA Spokesperson
All three of the people are now in the hospital trying their best to recover. But a 6-month old Golden Retriever by the name of Charli is still missing. Stefanides is one of the people hoping to bring it home.
“Is truly is so sad,” she said. “I mean, I just that’s, I don’t know how to feel. I just feel for them but I really, really want to find that dog. I hope he or she’s OK. But I wanna find that puppy that’s scared.”
This is a breaking story, and updates will be provided when available.