Fiery plane crash at Millard Airport kills one, injures another
Sunday morning plane crash kills one in Millard
OMAHA, Neb. —
A man was killed and a woman was critically injured Sunday in a plane crash at the Millard Airport, investigators confirmed to KETV NewsWatch 7.
Rescue crews arrived around 8:50 a.m. and found a small plane on fire at the end of the runway.
"You could hear the boom outside," said Chad Langford, who was at baseball fields near 138th Street and Millard Avenue.
"We just seen all the smoke and all the fire trucks headed that way," said Craig Cox, who was also headed to the baseball fields.
Authorities said a female passenger was thrown from the plane during the crash. Crews transported her to a nearby hospital with CPR in progress.
Rescuers called for multiple fire engines and rescue squads initially, then scaled back the response after initial crews arrived. A medical helicopter was dispatched and then sent back.
"Our crews did a great job of locating the victims and then putting the fire out after we got the victim," said Joe Salcedo, assistant fire chief with the Omaha Fire Department.
Omaha police, Omaha Airport Authority staff and Federal Aviation Administration investigators were at the crash site for hours Sunday. They began cleaning up the wreckage around 4 p.m., towing the engine and the remaining parts of the plane to sheds at the airport. The Millard Airport was closed Sunday morning and reopened just before 6 p.m.
"Hate to see that happen," said Phil Frye, who lives near the airport. "Hate to see anybody lose their life over it."
Frye's concerns began far before Sunday's deadly scene.
"(The airport was) here first as far as the argument goes, but things have changed out here," Frye said. "There's a lot of population around here."
He worries for the homes, businesses and kids playing in the area, including those baseball fields near 138th and Millard Avenue, where a student pilot made an emergency landing in January.
"After that plane landed on our field, yeah, you start to think twice about it and you know, the thought of having some sort of procedure in place definitely has crossed our mind," said Langford, president of baseball for Millard United Sports.
Kids were playing on the fields when the plane went down Sunday morning.
"These ball diamonds are right in the direct flight path," said Cox, a coach. "There's some times when it's just plane after plane after plane."
It's a worry for parents and Frye, who hopes Sunday's tragedy will turn into a conversation.
"I think it's time to maybe look into additional restrictions or moving the facility," Frye said.
The last time the FAA inspected the Millard Airport was in 2015, recording an average of 198 planes landing and taking off each day.
The Omaha Airport Authority declined to comment on the airport's logistics until the investigation is complete.
National Transportation Safety Board officials are expected to arrive in Omaha Monday evening. Investigators said it could take five days to release a preliminary report, but plan to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the investigation.
Omaha police have not yet released the names of the people involved in the crash.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
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