Plane crashes onto school field after taking off less than a mile away

23 June 2023 , 18:50

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Safety workers siphon out fuel from a small plane that crashed behind the Ocean Springs Middle School (Image: AP)

A plane headed from Mississippi to North Carolina crashed less a mile from where it took off, nosediving onto a school sports field.

The plane went down on Friday morning, June 23, with mention of a plane crash in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, being heard on the police scanner at around 7.40am. Jackson County EMA Director Earl Etheridge confirmed that a small plane had taken off from Ocean Springs Airport and was heading to Asheville, North Carolina.

However, shortly after takeoff, the twin-engine Piper Apache prop plane developed problems, crashing less than a mile from the airport on a middle school sports field.

It landed on the practice field at the north side of Ocean Springs Middle School. Police confirm it damaged part of a fence on its way down.

Thankfully, there were no students on campus at the time of the crash, according to Trey Brennan of the Ocean Springs School District. A small crew were at the school, however, working inside the building and not near the site of the crash.

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Safety workers siphon out fuel from a small plane that crashed behind the Ocean Springs Middle School (AP)

Ocen Springs Fire and Police departments are at the scene, along with Emergency Management. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are said to be on their way to the crash scene.

They will determine whether a mechanical failure or something else caused the crash. The pilot is said to have been the only person onboard the plane, with Police Captain Ryan LeMaire saying the recreational flyer was uninjured.

If any fuel leaks from the plane onto the field, it will have to be dug up. E3 Environmental is reportedly at the scene cleaning up and siphoning fuel from the aircraft.

The practice field is usually used by middle school football and soccer teams. Football practice had finished for two weeks on Thursday, June 22, for a July 4 break, according to Mr Brennan.

The plane crashed onto a field at Ocean Springs Middle School

13-year-old Chip Claunch plays football for Ocean Springs Middle School. On Friday morning, the eighth grader and his dad went out to see the plane crash for themselves.

"I'm glad no one got hurt," Chip told the Sun Herald. "It's not every day you see something like this."

Ocean Springs lies on the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the eastern shore of Biloxi Bay, with a population of around 17,000 people.

It's been given the nickname the 'City of Discovery' by locals and visitors, with history stretching back hundreds of years. The city is known for its arts and festivals, with galleries across the city and the Ocean Springs Art Association representing more than 300 local artists.

The city also has three entertainment districts, where restaurants and bars can be left with 'go-cups'. There are hundreds of independent shops, galleries, restaurants and nightlife in the city.

Fiona Leishman