Four people died when the corporate jet they were in crashed into a Farmington business Thursday morning. The crash at 111 Hyde Road destroyed the plane and sent workers running.
“First responders were here almost immediately, but there was nothing left,” said Gov. Ned Lamont at the scene.
The crash of the Cessna Citation 560XL happened around 9:50 a.m. at Trumpf Inc., a manufacturer near the town line and Robertson Airport in Plainville. The plane had just taken off from Robertson and was headed to the Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo, N.C., said Brittany Trotter, spokeswoman with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Officials confirmed Thursday afternoon that two pilots and two passengers were killed in the crash. Inside the building, Trumpf Inc. said all employees were accounted for and two injuries were reported. The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Members of the National Transportation Safety Board arrived to investigate the crash with help from the FAA. They returned to the scene Friday morning.
The 13-seat corporate jet appeared to be in trouble soon after takeoff, police and witnesses said. It hit the ground near 111 Hyde Road and then slammed into the side of the building. It appears there was some type of mechanical failure during the takeoff sequence that resulted in the crash, officials said.
“It is miraculous ... that we can confirm that nobody was [fatally] injured inside [the building, which] is the silver lining to this tragedy,” McKenzie said.
People who work in the area reported hearing a loud thump. The lights flickered, and they lost power.
The plane and side of the Trumpf building were engulfed in flames and burned about 20-30 minutes. The jet destroyed a corner of the building, which was still smoldering at 11:30; the plane had been filled with jet fuel.
A witness said the plane took out a utility pole and its transformer before it struck the building.
After the crash, parts of the aircraft were strewn across the grass. There were no signs of survivors from inside the plane.
The jet’s twin engines were made by Pratt & Whitney Canada, according to registration records.
“The fire personnel were amazing today and showed up as fast as they could to try to put out this fire,” McKenzie said. But responding to tragedies is always difficult, he said, expressing solidarity with Connecticut State Troopers after a trooper from Troop L was swept away by floodwaters in Woodbury early Thursday.
“I know the Farmington PD is with a heavy heart today thinking of our brothers in blue and the Connecticut State Police as well,” McKenzie said. “This accident here weighs on the first responders.”
Jesse Leavenworth may be reached at jleavenworth@courant. Christine Dempsey may be reached at [email protected].
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