Plane crashes into house, killing three

A Beechcraft Bonanza travelling from Vero Beach Regional Airport, FL (VRB/KVRB) to Clearwater Airpark, FL (CLW/KCLW) has crashed into a mobile home park in Clearwater, Florida, when approaching Clearwater Airpark (CLW/KCLW).

The pilot and two people on the ground perished and the aircraft and a mobile home were destroyed by fire. The ATC recording shows that the pilot was on approach and trying to align with runway 34 at KCLW. The pilot then mentions that he wants to change frequencies to activate the runway lights via PAL (pilot assisted lighting), and a few seconds later, he cancels the IFR clearance. The pilot returns to the frequency later and reports that he was "losing engine power".

It crashed in an explosive fireball at the Bayside Waters mobile home park in Clearwater, about 30 minutes outside Tampa, Florida. The plane hit one home and left at least three others with fire damage, although the flames were quickly doused, the Clearwater fire chief, Scott Ehlers, said at a news conference.

The death toll was given at three by the FAA – the pilot and two people on the ground, local station.

An accident report from the FAA said the plane “crashed under unknown circumstances” and resulted in a “post-crash fire”. 

Aircraft Information:

Owner / Operator: Control Data Inc
Aircraft: Beechcraft V35B Bonanza
Registration: N6659L
Serial Number: D-10279
Engines: 1 x Cont Motor IO 520 Series
First Flew: 30/07/1979.
Age: 44.6 Yrs. 

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIME.