FAA says small plane crash outside Cleveland kills at least 3; aircraft had come from Florida

FAA: At least 3 dead in small plane crash in Ohio

ELYRIA, Ohio — A mid-sized plane crashed Monday as it approached the Cleveland area from Gainesville, Fla., killing three people, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The plane carrying four passengers was approaching the Lorain County Regional Airport in Elyria shortly after 2 p.m. when it crashed, said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. It was not immediately clear whether the fourth passenger survived.

A message seeking comment was left for Lorain County Coroner Paul Matus.

An FAA database shows that the fixed-wing, multiengine MU-2B-60 turboprop plane is owned by Mitts Corp. of Gainesville, and was manufactured by Mitsubishi.

New York-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc. planned to be at the site Tuesday.

The company released a statement to say its “thoughts and prayers are with the families of the pilot and passengers.

“This is the first fatal MU-2 accident in almost 4 years,” the statement said. MU-2 series planes were involved in 21 fatal accidents from 1997 to early December 2008, according to Mitsubishi.

The series was manufactured between 1967 and 1985, and the planes carry seven to 10 people can also be used for cargo.

About 370 operate in the U.S., and Mitsubishi still supports the vehicles.

Isham Cory said the FAA is investigating and the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the inquiry.