911 calls in fatal Methuen plane crash released; plane extracted from building
By Alana Cerrone
acerrone@abc6.com
@Alana_Cerrone
“I just saw a plane go down it was on fire…"
One day after a plane crashed into a Methuen condo building, what remains of the aircraft was pulled out.
The front end was completely demolished.
In 9-1-1 calls just released by police, stunned witnesses describe what they saw. "We’re on 495 and we just saw a plane crash on the side of the road."
The National Transportation Safety Board says it’s investigating three things.
"We’re gonna be looking at the man the machine and the environment…the man, the human being, his qualifications, his training, his experience in the aircraft…the machine is the engineering aspects of the airplane…and then the environment…weather, air traffic control…"
The pilot, 73-year-old former Newburyport Mayor Alan Lavender, was killed.
“Is it in the water or on the side? I’m assuming it…hopefully they made it to the water but it’s…."
According to witnesses, the plane suddenly descended, and then disappeared behind the trees.
"I watched it come down – it’s a whole plane – it’s a whole plane I watched it!"
Police say it crashed into the bedroom of a top floor unit. Amazingly no one else was injured.
“9-1-1 this call is recorded what’s your emergency? Uh we had an explosion at Pride’s Crossing….”
© WLNE-TV 2017
