Three people died on Saturday after a small plane crashed into a house in Lyon Township, Michigan, authorities report.
According to a statement from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the three dead are believed to have been the occupants of the plane: two passengers and a pilot.
** Update to Lyon Twp. Plane crash **
We have confirmed three deaths on the scene, presumably the occupants and the pilot of the aircraft.
– Mike Bouchard (@MikeJBouchard) January 2, 2021
The Lyon Township house was completely engulfed in flames after the crash, but the five occupants of the house were safely evacuated. However, the family cat did not survive the incident, according to CNN partner WDIV.
In a statement to The Hill, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the plane as a single-engine Piper PA-24 and said the crash occurred around 4:00 p.m. local time.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will both investigate the incident and will release further details as soon as they arrive.
A neighbor told the local retailer that there were concerns that such a thing could happen due to its proximity to Oakland / Southwest Airport.
“I have two siblings who are under 2 years old and they slept upstairs; they were taking naps … You worry like this could happen to us because these planes fly low here all the time,” said Chase Southwick, according to CNN.
Updated 10:50 am