Neighbors Rescue Passengers from Fiery Plane Crash in Colorado Front Yard

Four people suffered burns after the plane crashed in a residential neighborhood outside of Denver.

A small plane crashed into the front yard of a home in Arvada, Colorado, on Friday morning, igniting a dramatic rescue by neighbors. The 1969 Beechcraft 35 struck a fence and a tree before crashing and bursting into flames around 9:30 a.m., according to KDVR.

The plane's four passengers, including two children, suffered burns and were transported to a local hospital in unknown conditions, as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Eyewitnesses described how neighbors rushed to pull the victims from the burning wreckage.

The plane hit a tree and a truck before bursting into flames.

Randy Hamrick and his wife were inside their home when the plane crashed in their yard. Initially mistaking the noise for a train derailment, they quickly realized the severity of the situation when they saw flames outside. "We saw the explosion and the glow from the outside and said, well, wait a second," Hamrick recounted. The impact was so intense that Hamrick feared his house might collapse.

Fortunately, neither Randy nor his wife was injured.

The pilot, whose identity has not been disclosed, departed from Centennial Airport, south of Denver, bound for Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near the crash site. Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, the pilot reported engine trouble and requested an emergency landing due to low oil pressure.

Two of those injured were children, officials said.

The pilot soon reported severe power loss and informed air traffic control that they would attempt an emergency landing wherever possible. Moments later, contact with the plane was lost. Officials stated that the pilot tried to land on a residential street, but the plane's left wing clipped a large tree, causing it to skid down the road and crash into a truck before coming to a stop in the Hamricks' front yard.

This initial photo shows us the scene.

NTSB accident investigator Alex Lemishko commented, "I’m sure what was going through the pilot’s mind was, ‘I see a roadway, I need to get this aircraft down, let’s give it a shot.’”

Video footage shows emergency responders arriving at the scene where the smoldering wreckage lay on the front lawn. The fire was quickly extinguished but briefly reignited hours later. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.