Three people were hurt in a small plane crash near homes in Stow, Massachusetts, on Sunday, officials said.
All three were flown to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and are expected to survive the crash, according to a representative for Stow police.
The single-engine Cessna 182 plane with three people aboard crashed about 1 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating what happened. They didn't share a suspected cause as they began the investigation Sunday afternoon.
The plane landed on its roof between two houses on Taylor Road, in an area near Minute Man Air Field, Stow police said. Photos from the scene showed the crumpled plane near a child's swing set and a trampoline. More than one person called 911 about the crash in the heavily wooded residential area.
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One of the passengers had gotten themselves out of the crashed plane, while two others had to be removed. All three were taken by ambulance to the air field, where they were flown by medical helicopter to the hospital for serious injuries.
Authorities haven't shared the names of the people in the crash.
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Norma Lavini told NBC10 Boston that the passengers are her two brothers and 16-year-old niece. She says her brother keeps his plane at nearby Minute Man Air Field.
"I am beyond grateful," Lavini said crying, after officials said it appeared the victims suffered non-life threatening injuries.
"They can move their arms and legs so we're holding on to all of the good things that we're hearing," Lavini added. "So far so good."
No one was in the homes near where the plane crashed, police said. A tree knocked over by the plane grazed a home, which received superficial damage.
Confirming the plane crash, the Stow Fire Department asked the public to avoid the area of Taylor Road.
The Boxborough Fire Department posted on social media that they were en route to assist at the scene.
Julie Morancy and her husband Tye told NBC10 Boston they couldn't believe what they were seeing after the plane crashed in a wooded area right next to their home.
"We knew right away something was bad," Julie Morancy said. "It was scary."
"Unbelievable," Tye Morancy added. "It's right here. I think I ran to where the tape was, stopped and realized I don't have shoes on."
"It was hard to tell who was inside, how many people, and how they were. It just happened so nobody was saying anything," he continued. "It was scary. That was a scary moment."
The Stow couple says they rushed over to the crashed plane to see if they could help.
"The man who was in there was talking to me, and I could see he was in a tough spot and he said he was having trouble breathing," Tye Morancy said, noting he was relieved as soon as he heard the sirens getting closer, knowing that help was on the way.
"I don't know how much time was going by, it felt like time had slowed down," he added. "And then when these guys started showing up I was thankful and was like OK I'm stepping back."
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash, with assistance from the FAA.
