Girl, 7, walks away from private jet crash that left all other passengers dead
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 03 January, 2015, 2:20pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 03 January, 2015, 3:29pm
Associated Press in Kentucky
Types of Piper aircraft, similar to the one that crashed in Kentucky. Photo: AFP
A seven-year-old girl survived a plane crash and was even able to walk to a nearby resident’s house to notify him of the accident, US authorities said.
The small Piper PA-34 aircraft reported engine trouble and lost contact with air traffic controllers as it was flying over the southwestern part of Kentucky state about 6.55pm local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
It crashed into a heavily wooded area near Kentucky lake, a popular tourist attraction. Four people were killed, including the pilot and three passengers, but it was unclear how they were related to the girl.
“This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash,” said Sergeant Dean Patterson of the Kentucky State Police. “It’s a miracle in a sense that she survived it, but it’s tragic that four others didn’t.”
He said it had been raining in the area for most of Friday.
About 30 minutes after the crash, a Lyon County resident called emergency services and told dispatchers that a seven-year-old girl had walked to his home and said she had been involved in a plane crash.
The girl, who was distraught, was brought to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities launched a search for the crash site and also confirmed with the FAA that they had received a distress call.
Patterson said the plane had taken off from Key West, Florida, and was headed to Mount Vernon, Illinois.
“Investigators on scene confirm four fatalities at the crash site. The fatalities account for the pilot and remaining passengers,” a subsequent police statement on Facebook said.
With additional reporting from Agence France-Presse
