Small plane crashes in southern Minnesota leaving at least 3 dead, narrowly misses home

At least 3 die in southern Minnesota plane crash

A small twin-engine plane narrowly missed a house and crashed into woodland in southern Minnesota overnight, leaving at least three people dead, authorities said Thursday.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the plane crashed about two miles northwest of Rochester International Airport shortly before midnight Wednesday.

Cory said at least three people died in the fiery crash.

It was not immediately clear how many people were in the plane when it crashed.

Police said investigators retrieved the plane’s tail number after the sun came up, but did not immediately release details. The plane’s origin and destination were still under investigation.

Olmsted County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Darnell told The Associated Press that the private plane crashed about 200 yards into the woods, and that the trees, along with a creek and cliffs in the area hindered initial efforts to access the crash site, about four miles southwest of the city of Rochester.

Darnell said the victims had not yet been removed from the wreckage.

The plane narrowly missed the home of Douglas and Lori Eaton.

“We heard what sounded like a helicopter landing on my house. It woke us up. Then, there was a super loud explosion,” Douglas Eaton told the AP. “My wife and I looked out the window and saw flames shooting out of the woods.”

Lori Eaton said she ran to the wreckage in the woods while her husband called 911.

“It was already on fire. I just yelled to see if anyone would answer my call and see if anyone needed help, and no one was answering my call,” she said.

Darnell said local investigators were waiting for FAA personnel to arrive to investigate the crash.