Site of Cessna Plane Crash on 10 Jul 2007 (Sanford, Florida)

 site - to be removed, crash site, aeroplane, historical layer / disappeared object

A small twin-engine plane (Cessna 310R, registration: N501N) carrying the husband of a NASCAR executive crashed into a neighborhood on July 10, 2007 and engulfed two houses in flames, killing both people aboard the aircraft and three others on the ground.

The pilot had reported smoke in the cockpit and was trying to make an emergency landing when the twin-engine plane went down in suburban Orlando. NASCAR confirmed that 54-year-old Dr. Bruce Kennedy, a Daytona Beach plastic surgeon and husband of International Speedway Corp. President Lesa France Kennedy, and NASCAR Aviation pilot Michael Klemm, 56, were among the dead. Janice Joseph, 24, and her 6-month-old son, Joseph Woodard, were killed when the home they were in was hit by the plane. Also killed was a 4-year-old girl, Gabriela Dechat, who was in a second home. Her parents, Milagros Dechat, 33, and Peter Dechat, 36, were seriously injured and transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. A 10-year-old boy also in that home was transported to Cincinnati Burn Center with burns over 80 percent to 90 percent of his body
A firefighter who responded to the blaze was also hurt trying to reach the victims.

Accident Investigation Report of Cessna 310R, registration: N501N:
The NTSB factual 161-page report (NYC07MA162) dated December 2007 indicates that the accident was caused by an electrical malfunction, including smoke in the cockpit, that occurred on the previous flight and that (weather radar) was not rectified prior to the accident flight. The accident pilot was informed about the known problem prior to flight, but elected to fly the aircraft regardless. The conclusion of the NTSB was that the fire was caused by wires with insulation that didn't meet the required standards: the insulation was flammable, and the fire propagated. The electrical fire was not related to the weather radar - it was not used during this flight.