Updated 5 pm
A 2014 Piper PA-46 with three occupants crashed in Leicester Tuesday afternoon after it departed from Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY) and was en route to Worcester Regional Airport.
According to a press release from Leicester Police, at approximately 5 pm, police, fire, and rescue teams were dispatched to an airplane crash in the woods off Moosehill Road. Emergency personnel from the neighboring town of Spencer also responded, along with the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
With the help of good Samaritans on snowmobiles, the crash site was quickly identified, and responders were able to bring two people from the plane directly to waiting ambulances, according to the release. A third person was removed from the woods in a rescue basket.
There was also a small dog on board.
According to the release, all occupants sustained “some sort of injuries, but none appear to be life-threatening.”
The dog was taken care of by the Leicester animal control officer, but did not appear to be injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Massachusetts State Police were notified, and will be investigating the cause of the plane crash.
The release states that the crash site is a significant distance from the roadway, so to access the site, Leicester highway department responded with two large pieces of heavy equipment to clear a path for investigators.
Currently, the aircraft is secured by the State Police as the investigation into the crash continues.
Martha’s Vineyard Airport director Geoff Freeman confirmed that the aircraft had departed the Island in the afternoon, although he was unaware of its destination.
According to publicly available flight records, the aircraft is registered to Forza Management Co., out of Auburn.
Records show that the flight departed from the Vineyard at 4:16 pm, with a scheduled 4 pm departure, and is shown to have crash-landed at 4:58 pm, which was the approximate time first responders were called to the crash.
FAA officials in the office of accident investigation and prevention could not immediately be reached by phone.
Updated to correct the type of plane.
Looks like an experienced pilot saved lives with an excellent crash landing.
I lived at 608 Moose Hill Rd. in Leicester. I have a good idea of where this plane crashed, and if 505 is the house I think it is, it has a big yard/field, rather sloped. The people who lived there back then kept a few cows. And a friendly awesome collie.
It is a narrow, country road with a reservoir bordering one side for a stretch, wildlife mngt. areas…Imagine a little pocket of Chilmark or west Tiz hidden just outside of Worcester (wormtown to us central massholes) so no doubt with the snow it was hard to get emergency crews to the site. Nice work to them, and those snowmobile guys!