Plane crash in Wesley Chapel neighborhood kills one: PCFR

1 killed after plane crashes in Wesley Chapel neighborhood

A small plane crashed behind a home early Sunday morning, killing the pilot. Neighbors say plane crashes are unusually common in the area. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky reports.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - One person is dead after a plane crashed in a Wesley Chapel neighborhood, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue.

What we know:

PCFR said a twin-engine plane crashed on Aldus Drive Sunday morning.

The plane was a Cessna 401B airplane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Courtesy: Pasco County Firefighters Local 4420

The fire from the crash has since been extinguished, and officials say the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation.

PCFR said at least one home sustained damage from the crash.

One person had died as a result of the crash, officials said.

Courtesy: Pasco County Firefighters Local 4420

One neighbor said the plane crashed between three homes, and it was no mistake that the pilot missed the houses.

"I think that the pilot is a hero. He knew that it was going down, and he found a perfect spot to land," said Christina Galbiati, a neighbor who witnessed the crash. "So he went straight in between houses, which I imagine is a pretty hard thing to do."

Courtesy: Pasco County Firefighters Local 4420

"He landed right in between those two unfenced yards," Galbiati said. "It takes seconds to make that decision."

What we don't know:

Officials have not shared if anyone else was involved in the crash.

"We'll pray for them and that kind of thing," said Victoria Barrett, another neighbor who witnessed the crash. "But it's tragic, and we'll see what FAA comes up with the investigation."

Galbiati said the plane sounded loud and weird when it went over her house.

"My kids were in the backyard jumping on their trampoline. They saw a low-flying plane," Galbiati said. "I was in the front yard drinking coffee, and I saw the plane come around and thought it was very, very low, but everything looked mechanically fine. I saw the propellers spinning, no fire or anything."

The backstory:

Neighbors said this is a part of a pattern. FOX 13 reported on a plane crash in the area in 2020.

RELATED: 1 dead after small plane crashes in backyard of Pasco County home

"This is our fourth crash in this neighborhood after about a few years," Barrett said.

But it will not change their habits or decision to live here.

"It's a nice neighborhood. We like it. We're very happy here," Galbiati said. "I think that things can happen and I don't want to live in fear. So, I do feel safe."