COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Two individuals were hospitalized in critical condition after a plane crash in a Lancaster residential area late Sunday night.
The incident occurred along Rainbow Drive, between Noland Drive and State Route 188, at approximately 10:41 p.m. A 1962 Cessna aircraft, en route from Martinsburg, West Virginia, to Fairfield County Airport, went down in the vicinity.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), the Cessna was piloted by 19-year-old Grant Keefer of Lancaster, with 18-year-old passenger Harper Kline from Zanesville on board. The plane crashed onto the property of local resident Linda McCormick.
“I just heard this horrendous, louder-than-I've-ever-heard-before, crash,” McCormick stated, expressing relief that damage to her property was minimal.
The OSHP is leading the investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is conducting a parallel inquiry. “The Cessna experienced a mechanical issue while on its final approach and attempted an emergency landing, striking several trees beforehand,” said the OSHP.
Both Keefer and Kline were transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus for treatment of serious injuries.