Plane crashes into home in Rosewood neighborhood

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A plane crashed into a home in the Rosewood neighborhood of Columbia near a small airport, officials confirmed Wednesday.

It happened around 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Maple and Kennedy streets, just south of Rosewood Drive. That’s about one-and-a-half miles from the Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport.

Columbia Fire said it was on the scene just minutes after getting the call. According to Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins, the plane crashed into the back of the home.

The plane and the home caught fire, but crews were able to extinguish the fires.

It is unclear if the plane was on fire before it crashed into the home. However, Jenkins confirmed that the plane did cause the house fire.

William Monteith said his brother and another neighbor called police and rushed over.

“They’re both asking, ‘Where’s the plane,’” he recalled. “Apparently it had crumbled so bad that there was no recognizable plane damage back there and then flames started coming out from back there and then flames started coming out from back of the house and then firetrucks got here fairly quickly and they put the fire out.”

The aircraft that crashed is a single-engine plane, the Columbia Police Department said. NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss confirmed that the plane was a Beechcraft F33A Bonanza (see example in tweet below).

Jenkins noted that at least one person was on the plane when it crashed. That person’s condition is not known.

Officials said the plane took off from Greenville Downtown Airport, but they are working to gather other flight information.

Jenkins added one person was inside the home at the time of the crash. However, that person was able to get out of the home safely.

Multiple emergency crews, including fire and rescue crews, responded to the scene. The Richland County Coroner was on the scene, as well.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified. Weiss said the preliminary report could be complete within two weeks. but the full investigation could take up to two years.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will also be called to investigate.

Joe Frasher, the airport director at Greenville Downtown Airport, confirmed the plane that crashed was based at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) and left for Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB) at approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Columbia Police are asking residents in the area to contact them if they have any surveillance video of the crash.

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