Londonderry residents were reminded last week of the dangers of having an airport within the town when a small plane was set down in the neighborhood of Colonial Drive near Wiley Hill Road.
According to a press release by Londonderry Fire Department, on Friday morning, Jan. 26, at 7:31 a.m., the communications office dispatched Battalion I, Engine II, Tanker I, Rescue I, and Truck I, along with several other mutual aid fire and EMS companies to the area of the power lines near Colonial Drive.
Battalion I arrived on scene to find a twin-engine turboprop Beechcraft 99, on the ground with major damage at the rear of the home at 5 Colonial Drive.
The pilot was the only person onboard and was found heavily entrapped with severe injuries.
Within 11 minutes, the Fire Department had the pilot extricated, and crews continued emergency care. The pilot was transferred to the mutual aid Derry ambulance that had arrived on scene.
Once the pilot of the plane was transported to an area hospital, the focus shifted to hazard mitigation.
The HazMat team was called to assist with aviation fuel spill control. The NH Department of Environmental Services was requested to the scene as well as multiple other agencies necessary for the incident investigation.
The Londonderry Fire Department worked with the Londonderry Police Department, Boston/Manchester Regional Airport Officials, NH DES, and several other agencies to bring the incident under control by about 8:07 a.m.
Crews remained on scene for several hours. The scene was turned over to the Londonderry Police Department for the investigation.
Personnel from Derry, Windham, Boston/Manchester Regional Airport Officials, Eversource, and the NH Department of Environmental Services were also called to the scene.
According to police, the pilot, the sole occupant of the plane, was trapped within the wreckage, was extracted, and transported to the Elliot Hospital in Manchester for treatment. The seriously injured pilot was then transported to a Boston area hospital where he remains in critical condition.
The Londonderry Police Department remains on scene assisting the FAA and NTSB, who will be heading up the investigation into the crash.
Since Friday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators reported the left cockpit door was found in a person’s yard about six miles north of the Colonial Drive crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Beechcraft 99 crashed shortly after departing from Manchester Boston Regional Airport heading to Presque Isle International Airport in Maine.
The plane crashed in the woods about 70 feet from a home in Londonderry.
Investigators have not released the pilot’s name, but reported he was conscious after the crash and was among those who called 911.
The NTSB said the wreckage recovered the day after the crash was brought to a facility in Westfield, MA., to be examined.
Investigators are still examining the flight track data, recordings of any air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records and the weather conditions at the time of the crash.
The release of the preliminary report is expected within 30 days and the final report may take up to two years.