Plane crashes in pool, killing passenger

One person is dead after a small plane crashed into an aboveground swimming pool in Centralia, Illinois, on July 23.

According to the Centralia Fire Department, the passenger died and the pilot was airlifted to a St. Louisarea hospital with injuries.

The pool’s owner, Brian Hutchinson, was home at the time of the crash. He told a news photographer that he heard a loud crash and ran outside to find the plane in his pool.

He called 911. “It was dead silent and then a big boom,” Hutchinson said. “I looked over and saw a plane sitting in my swimming pool.”

Huchinson said that thankful doesn’t come close to describing how grateful he is that he and his family weren’t in the pool that Saturday afternoon.

The experience has left him with too many terrifying thoughts of “what-if.”

“I still can't believe it. I'm in shock right now. I'm just glad that my kids weren't swimming or I didn't have family over,” he said.

Officials have not released the name of the person who died or what may have led to the fatal crash.

Plane crashes into pool in Centralia, Illinois. Photo credit https://www. ksdk.com/article/news/local/smallplane- crashes-in-centralia-illinoisairport/ 63-43c0bef9-12dd-4107-8ebd-080eb2c0ce48