CENTRALIA, Ill. – Authorities are investigating a fatal plane crash Saturday afternoon in Centralia, Illinois.
A spokesperson from the Centralia Fire Protection District tells FOX2 that a small, single-engine plane crashed around 12:43 p.m. Saturday on Woods Lane, which is less than a mile away from the Centralia Municipal Airport.
The Centralia Police Department said they received a call from a resident in the 1500 block of Woods Lane that a small plane had crashed into their swimming pool in their backyard.
According to Marion County coroner Troy Cannon, first responders discovered that the pilot of a 1948 Beechcraft A35 aircraft sustained injuries and a female passenger had died.
Police said the female passenger, Cheryl Monserat-LaGreca, 56, of Lacon, Illinois was killed upon impact. They said the pilot Glenn Rossi from the Peoria area was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Centralia Fire Protection District Chief Ross Boshera said firemen along with Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Lifestar EMS had to free Rossi from the plane.
Cannon said the conversation between the first responders and Rossi suggested that the plane lost power and started to lose altitude. It is unclear why the aircraft lost power. Neighbors said they witness the plane descending without engine power.
Cannon said he assumed Rossi manage to steer the plane to hit the pool to soften the impact of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration said they are investigating the incident and the cause of the crash. It is unclear if the plane left the Centralia Municipal Airport or was trying to land there.
