World War II-era plane crashes at small suburban Phoenix airport, killing pilot

1 dead after plane crashes at small AZ airport

CHANDLER, Ariz. — A World War II-era plane crashed Thursday while attempting to land at a small airport in suburban Phoenix, killing the pilot and starting at least one hangar on fire, authorities said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the single-engine P-51D Mustang crashed at Stellar Airpark in Chandler at about 1:20 p.m.

Authorities say the plane hit the side of a hangar, starting a fire. Nearby hangars were evacuated, and the blaze was quickly extinguished.

Fire crews sifted through the debris to determine if there were any other victims, but none were immediately found.

Gregor said the circumstances of the crash were unclear, but FAA investigators were en route to the airport. Witnesses said the plane appeared to be coming in too fast for its attempted landing.

The pilot’s name wasn’t immediately released. The East Valley Tribune reported that the plane was registered to Hirani Oil Arizona, which appears to be a sales and property management company in Chandler.