Plane Impacts Vacant Home In Sitka

All four people onboard a Piper PA-46 Mirage Jetprop were killed Monday, after their plane impacted a vacant home in the coastal Alaskan town of Sitka.

Officials told local media sources the aircraft (type shown above) departed Victoria, British Columbia, and was heading to the Sitka Airport when it came down, less than one mile from a street filled with cruise ship passengers touring the town.

"First we heard the sound of the plane, then the plane hitting trees," witness David Hoerner told The Associated Press. "You could tell it hit power lines, because they were dancing around, then you heard the impact. The trees clipped the wing and the plane must have gone barreling into the house."

Tess Heyburn had left her house moments before the plane crashed, to meet a friend for a milkshake. She ran towards the accident scene, before realizing the home the plane impacted was her own.

"It sounded like something had fallen off a truck. Then I saw a lot of people running and I followed suit -- and saw that it was my house," she said.

Investigators with the FAA and NTSB were on the scene Tuesday. It is unknown whether mechanical problems or weather played a role in the accident.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 35CX        Make/Model: PA46      Description: PA-46 Malibu, Malibu Mirage
  Date: 08/06/2007     Time: 2055

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: SITKA   State: AK   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A BUILDING, SITKA, AK

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   4
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: KSIT M2053Z 29005KT 35M-RA BR FEW 004 OVC 010 13/13 A2988

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: JUNEAU, AK  (AL05)                    Entry date: 08/07/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov