A Beachcraft seven-passenger plane crashed mere inches away from an occupied house on Doraville’s Homeland Drive near the Dunwoody city limits on Sunday, Dec. 28, shortly before 10 a.m., injuring two passengers.
Investigators on the scene said it was a miracle that the two occupants, a male and female pilot, walked away with only minor injuries. The plane, which had experienced engine failure, hit a tree while descending, went straight to the ground, and landed belly-up behind a home in the 2600 block of the quiet street.
It had less than 100 gallons of fuel remaining in its tank, most of which was absorbed into the ground, DeKalb Fire officials said.
According to Dunwoody Police PIO Michael Cheek, debris was scattered along Homeland Drive, with some pieces located in Doraville and others in Dunwoody.
At a news conference at the scene, Doraville Assistant Chief Brian Harris said a call reporting the crash was received around 9:30 a.m., and that both jurisdictions responded.
“Two occupants of the aircraft walked away from the aircraft, and they were treated at the scene and moved to the hospital for treatment, non-life-threatening,” he said.
During its descent, the plane clipped several trees in a home’s backyard, but the plane didn’t strike homes or other structures, Harris said.
“It’s an absolute Christmas miracle that two people crashed in an aircraft and walked away from it,” Harris said.
The bloodied and bruised occupants were transported to Grady Hospital for further treatment.
The plane was headed to DeKalb Peachtree Airport from Miami, authorities said, most likely en route to pick up customers for another flight. Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were on the scene when Rough Draft arrived at Homeland Drive.
After the FAA investigation is complete, the debris will be removed by a recovery team, officials said.
